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A APPLIED irvHGE I 

^^ 1653 East Main Street 

I^S Rochester. New York 14609 USA 

^S ("6) ♦82 - 0300 - Phone 

^B (716) 2B8 - 5989 - Fax 



THE LIVING FORCES OF THE OOSPEL 



si 

vJ 



The Living Forces of the Gospel 

The Living Christ 

and 

Dying Heathenism 



The Experiences of a Missionary 
in Animistic Heathendom 



. By 

JOH. WARNECI Lie. The«4. 

Suptriiitendent M us ion 

Authoriud Triinslation from the TkirJ Ocrtnin ka n 

By 

REV. NEIL BUCHANAN 




New York Chicago Toronto 

Fleming H. Revell Company 

London and Edinburgh 



tv 
^^^. 



121110 
Mar 3 1986 



r 



PREFACE TO THE EN(;MSH EDITION 



4 



This ImmiU is a psycliologinil stuily ha.-cil u|»« < the aiitlmrs 
cajHTU'iicc UH a missionary amoiiji tl. aiiiiiiisti< iu-atiieii «»t 
t|e Iniliaii Arcliipi-lajjo. There has been inueh unanimity 
amonjf (German missionaries as to his eonciiisions, an«l the 
author wouhl talve advantage of this translation of his work 
to apjieal to ail Kn^'hsh speaking: missionaries, and tliose 
interested in tlu^ work and hterature of missions, for their 
criticism and observations. He found tl at the i-onversion of 
heatlien in Netherlaiid India was effected l)y sta^'cs ; it wtuihl 
be extremely valuable to him to know whether the experience 
of missionaries in Africa, in Oceania, in C'eniral Au'crica, in 
India and C'hiiui are similar to his own. He would . .e 
cspecially to learn the minds of missionaries on the f(>!l< • iii>? 
(juestious : Whether the first thing in the (Jospel tha, ;ii i.cts 
is deliverance from the fear of demons ; whether the M.i se of 
Hin and the lonj^inj^ for forjjiveness is a later <;rowtli ; whether 
Christ is accepted first of all as a Toliverer from the devil, 
then from the state of fear in which tlieir lives are spent, and 
hiat of all as the Saviour from sin ^ Arc the features «)f 
Animism as he has described them in the first part ( f his 
book essentially the same amoii},' other peoples^ Similar 
notions of the soul are found in China, Africa, Suriname, 
even in (Ireenland, and many other places. It would seeuj tis 
if Animism were the primitive form of heathenism, maintaiu- 
ing itself, as in China and India to this hour, amid all the 
retinements of civilisation. The study of (Jnek ami old ^ p" 
German Religions exhibit the same animistic featmes. The t^ 

jessence of heathenism seems to be, not the denial of (Jod but 1 
jcomplete estrangement from Him. The existence of (Jod is ^ *> *^ 
leverywhere known and SI certain veneration gi\L'ii Ilini. But o -"^ 



H THK LIVIXc; FOHCKS OF THK (J08PKL 

He JH far away, and is therefore all but ruled on! of the 
rehgious life. His phice is taken by demons, who are feared 
and worsliipped. The author would esteem it a favour were 
any missionaries to communicate with him (Missionshaus, 
Barmen, (iermuny) their experiences and thoughts on any of 
these matters. 



PREFACE TO THE THIRD GERMAN 
EDITION 



The favourable reception given to his psychological study of 
nuKsionH strengthens the autlior's conviction that foreign 
missions have something to say to tlie home (.'hurch and to 
theology, which is ever called upon to consi«ler the move- 
ments of the times. The essays which appciircd in Kiihlers 
" Angcwandtcn Dogmen," almost contemporaneously with 
this book, called upon missionaries to prepare their experi- 
ences amid their conflict with heathenism for the use of 
theologians. The "Living Forces of the (iiosi)el" was quite 
unconsciously a modest answer to that invitation. It is very 
gratifying to missionaries to find that theological speculations 
about missions agree so strikingly with their practical experi- 
ence. I have observed with increasing surprise and delight 
how a believing study of the Hible supports the theory and 
practice of missions, and how the experience of missionaries 
confirms convictions which such students have already reached. 
That is a suggestive fact of which I have not been able in 
this treatise to make any use, but which I may turn to 
account in a later work. 

As my enquiry was breaking fresh ground I was ready to 
welcome any new facts or criticisms from the ex|)erience of 
my colleagues. However, they have been in essential agree- 
ment with me. In this edition I have attended to some 
minor objections and have changed phrases that were mis- 
understood. Too little time has elapsed since the appear- 
ance of the book to allow colleagues of the mission field to 
pass any detailed judgment upon it. It is to them mainly 
that I look for help in dealing with the questions which I 
have raised. 

From another quarter, however, I have been counselled to 



10 THF-: LIVIN(; KOUCKS OF THK (iOSl'KL 

give a more tlior()uj,'h and dispassionati study to j)r(>l)leni8 in 
the liiHtory of rclijiion, especially in view of tiie results in tlie 
science of comparative reli<,'ions, i.e. to recognise that the idea 
of evolution at present ruling the scientific world must also 
rule in the investigation of religion. 1 am not so unac(|uainted 
with tlur literature of the subject as my critics sujjpose. But 
as I have come to different results it could not lie in the plan 
of my work to show any agreement with the religious and 
l)liih)soi>hical presuppositions of those men, for whom I have 
a high esteem. I had and have no desire for controversy ; 
my object is simply constructive. I described animistic 
heathenism as concretely as I could; I confined myself 
strictly to that. I set down facts of my own observation 
and those of other colleagues. I began with the facts of 
experience : then I drew inferences from them. If these do 
not agree with the dominant hypothesis of evolution, that is 
due to the brutal facts and not to the " religious and historical 
presupj)ositions "^ of the observer, i do not deny that some- 
thing can b(^ said for the idea of evolution in the religions of 
mankind, but the study of Animism, with M'hich I ha"ve long 
been familiar as an eyewitness, did ik t lead uie to that idea. 
Rather the ronviction which I arrived at is, that animistic 
heathenism i .t a transition stage to a higher religion. I 
think 1 have adihiccd sufiicient facts to establish that, and 
facts do not vanish away before hypothesis. Let them pro- 
duce facts to prove that animistic heathenism somewhere and 
somehow evolved upwards towards a purer knowledge of 
(Jod, real facts, not imaginary constructions of such an 
evolution. Any form of Animism known to me has no 
lines leading to perfection, but only incontestable marks of 
degeneration. 

1 have worked as a missionary for many years in intimate 
contact with thousands of the adiierents of animistic heathen- 
ism, and I have been convinced that the determining 
force of tiiat heathenism is hostile to (Jod. I was forced in a 
hand to hand conflict with it to consider the powers at work 
therein. Behind the animistic notions which interest the 
observer are mighty forces ; whether these come from above 



PREPACK TO THE TIIIHI) CEHMAN EDITION U 



or from bencatii cannot l)c decided n priori. Tlie missionary 
comes sooner or later to feel tliem. And the attitude «)f 
heathenism towards the Christian reli<;ion, always hostile, 
BUf^^ests that it divines an enemy, not a superior brother. 
As a matter of foet Chiistianity succeeds only when, after 
nmch deep i)l<)u<j;liin<r, it has turne«l up a fresh human soil. 
The best converts from heathenism are its severest judjjes. 

This stern estimate of heathenism does not forbid the 
missicmary, to whom a thorouijh knowled<;;e of his people's 
relij^ion is of the first importance, eollectin<i; witli care and 
recoji;nisin<r frankly as of I)i\ine ori<;in whatever it contains 
of longing for Cod, of moral feelin<i, and of «lesire fi)r better 
things, nay rather it demands it. I th(»uf;ht 1 had made t' , /^ 
sutlieiently plain in my book. Hut in heathenism the ifM oT 
the divine thoujjhts becomes dross. .\t best what true th<iiinuis 
are there are an umlercurreut ; in no case do they alVord 
a decided relij^ious or slowly ennobliiiijj motive. I have not 
devoted a special chapter to these relij,'ious values ; 1 tliouiiht 
they were more lik' .y to be riijhtly estinuited when placed 
in their proper connection. Who would care, as a missionary 
among the heathen, to lead a life of conllict, of disappoint- 
ment and ])rivatioii, unless he were convinced that the ri).r 
rim ei<nij/('lii would be heard even in the moat depraved 
heathen heart ; unless he believed that even the Animists 
because they are e/i Heoi/ are also t/v f^eoi. 

The author's intention was to set the darker powers of 
heathenism over against the (luickcnJng forces of the Cospel. 
He felt impelled to do so by experiences similar to those 
which befell those earlier n issionarics, who dcterminetl to 
declare to the Church at Antioch, " All that Cod Inid done 
with them and how He had opened the (h>or of faith unto 
the Gentiles" (Acts xiv. 27; xv. ;{, J, \-2). It is written of 
them : " They caused great joy to all the brethren." To-day 
as of ohl the victory is with the (Jospel, that (Jobpel of which 
the great Apostle to the Centiles, from a rich experience, 
testifies that it works ovk eV Ao'yo' /uo'ioi, uAAa k(u tv ownnei 
Koi cv TTvevfjiUTi ayio) Ktu irXtipotpoptn tpoXA// (I Ihess. i. 5). 



TABLE OF CONTENTS 



Introduction .... 

Success of mmlern forei^fu nii«sioiis-Wh.it for.'es of th.' Uo.<ik<1 
arc at work thorciii — (iaiii to luission workers ami to the home 

, I'T'-''' .'■■'"" aiiswerint; that ciuestioii Ditlicnltios of the uiiuoiry 

l.imitatK.ii to tho animistic licathcnism of the liuiian Archipelaifo— 
Authorities— Course of the euijuiry. 



[■*CK 

17 



I. ANIMISTIC HEATHENISM 

J. A PICTURi^ OF BATTAK HEATHENISM 

1. Belief in the Gods • . . . . 

Cliief nods— Accounts of creation— I^)wer deities— Formation of 
myths from phenomena of nature— Dim idea of the one Sui.remo 
l.od— Worship of God and of the goda— Prayers— SacriHce-Deceivinc 
the gods. * 

2. Animism the Basis of Spirit Worship . 



-All-Roul~All parts of the l)ody informed 

l>lood, hair, nails, teeth, »woat— Shadows— 

;m— Soul-stuiT in animals, plants, objects- 

-('.■.nnibalism— Fetiches— Mutual iuHuence 

object of worship— Capture of souls— 



The soul— Houl stutt- 
with soul— Head, liver. 
Names— Dream.- —F 
Mutual relation of 
of souls — The soul 

1 rayer to tho st)ul-, ..ck of moral feelins-The soul after death - 
fear of the s,,ul— Mourning uaaKcs the outcome of fear— Kingdom of 
the dead— Order of rank there— Immortality. 

3, Spirit Worship ..... 

Relation of the dead to the living— Fc.vr the motive of ancestor 
vvorsliip— Lar.ientations- -Ancestors revered ;ia guardians of custom— 
Jivilspints- Worship— Media of worship— Ancestoi images Men as 
media— bhamanism- Festivals of the dead— iSacritico— Magical in- 
Hucnce-CouHict with the spirits-Flight from them-Deceiving them 
— bpmt worship the centre of tho religion. 



39 



fi3 






n. THE CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF ANIMISTIC 
HEATHENISM 
1. Formal Uncertainty of Heathenism 

Religions ignorance-Apiwal to the forefathers— Moral uncertainty 
—Inconsequences— Longing for sure knowledge— Se<^king for God. " 

13 



81 



14 THE LIVIX(; FORCKS OF THE COSPEL 



2. Lies i.\ HEATi.^NrsM • . . . . 

Lyinff nl«)iit C.ci. aliout tlie value of life ami the value of i)er- 
sonaity -l.yniH- al»n,t niorulify - l.yint' I'ower of the ma^'iciaii-Tho 
lieatlMii wlllm^' to he deceiveil 'lliuy are ^ivou to lyiiiL' oii.l are dis- 

trustful. 

3. Hkathknism is Estranokment puom God 

The hoathon .lin.ly perceive UchI, t.ut <lo not have Him— Go<l -Iriven 
into the l.a.kjrr<nii. l--Xo rel,iti..n to Hini-The i.leaof (!,„1 in contra- 
I ict.on with the reli;^ion not the result of .Kvclopnicnt-KeliVious 
(le-eneracy -Demons have thrust theiiiselvH In-^tween (!o.i an.l men - 
<.(«! elimmateil by fate. 

4. Ukatiienihm is H(ini)a<;e . . . _ 

■I'he Animist eiislave.l hy fear ami notions <,f eonstraint- Kear of 
souls, of ..|,,ius. ot nuti^-IVmou worship widespread- The demons to 
them realities- -\,ew of the luMthen Christians View of the wtIv 
( hnreh -Bi .heal e.meeption Honda^e to fato-Killinfr of per«onal 
freedom and .self-doteiniination -Caiaeity for redemption. 

5. Heathenism is Sei.fisii.vess 

l.ove seareely known Cruelty and brutality Hoots of .lelfishness in 
Animism MruLr^lle for exi.stenee. 

0. PEJivEusiox OK .Morality in Heathexis.m 

^ Not »-ithout virtuus-fustom in place of morality-Whatever use- 
li Kood-Aiuestoi-s ouardi.ms of eustom- Custom deiiondent on 
anunistie reli-ion -Cnielty permitte<l- Unchiistity in union .vith 
Aniniism-( ustom has no reference to Uod No retribution -Katalism 
kills moral ju lirment. 

7. Heathenism is Wohi.di.iness 

Materi.alism of the soul cult ami of religion— No hope of compensa- 
tion in a future life. "^ 



88 



96 



108 



12i 



125 



130 



II. FIRST CONTACT BETWEEN HEATHENISM 
AND CHRISTIANITY 

.1. ANTAGONISTIC ATTITUDE OF HEATHENISM 

The Christiax Religion is Rejected 

Iteiijrion a national affair— Heatheni.sm conservative— Distrust of 
the foiviL'iicr- Christianity specially strange— Its nie.ssenL'ers Euro- 
peans— Its contents reiiel the materialistic heathen— 1 '« inertia— 
Kanutic ojiji' icnts. 



2. Christian Morals Re.iected 

The heathen think they have morals— Perversion of the moral idea— 
Self-rijihteousness and self-deception— .Morality rooted in the reliinon 
— Custom 1 he heathen have no desire to become other than they 
are— Katalism —The liospd as a demand makes no impression 



135 



147 



CONTKXTS 
B. AGEN'CIES THAT ("LKAH THE WAV FOR 

ciriasriAMTV 

1. The Hkathkn's Sexse ok Miskuy 

Poverty, slavery, cniolty -<'onseiiiiiwiii>s of tlirw- Moiliial liolp — 
Sail fruits of lio.illniiiKiii Loiif,'iiif,' for poaciv 

2. The Heathen's Xekd ok Edication 

Civilised peopleH — Uncivilised |it'o|iles Loii^'in^' for useful know- 
Ied;;e Zoal in IfiirninK' -Sihools open the w;iy into lieatlieii regions. 

3. Sui'KlUOKITY OK ChUISTIAN Hai'ES 

Mi».si(>iiarie.s esteemed as re|iresentitives of a superior lulture 
Desire to prolit from tlieir wisdom Tlieir words are listened to. 

4. J'oWEu OK THE Moral I'eusonality ok the EvAN(iEi,i8T 

His love and unsellisliness- His trutlifulnoss- Trust in liim Helief 
in him -Value of the personal mediation. 

5. iNFLrENCE OF CHRISTIAN COLONIAL I'oWKRS 

Shattering; of heathenism l>y removal of its ■.•luelties Creating 
Iieaee, the condition of successful preachinj;. 

(5. I'RErAKATORY IXTEIU'OSITION.S OK <iOI) 

His nnVhty help— Impetus by dreams, visions, prophecies- 
Examples — I'sycholot^ical a^'encies. 

7. Individual TRUTH-SEEKiN(i Sons 

These are j,nft8 iii the early day<i of mission work— Their functions — 
They are jiioneers. 






HIT 



171 



\-l 



18-2 



III. THE VICTOIIIOI^S FORCES OF THE GOSPEI. 



Laws cf Mi8.sion Develoi>ment .... ih8 

Many-.sidednes9 of theCospel trift — Thejifift cominonds itself in pro- 
portion to the sense of want. 

1. The Heathen V on hy the Certainty ok the Gospel 

Messauk . .... 191 

Its certainty imjircsscs— Need of certr.inty and authority— The 
messenffer of the (iosiiel must himself he certain — The (lospol as 
a.ssertion — Personal te-stiniony. 

2. The Gospel bringh Truth uecause it is a Revelation 195 

The idea of revelation is accepted— No do\ilit — Power of the 
revealed word — It appeals to the inner nature- Missionary nnist 
be certain of the revelation— Keliffion without revelation worthless 
to the heathen — The me.ssonffer's cert.iinty must not lead him to 
contend with and mock the heathen religion — The eontrov ,^ial 
missionary not sufficiently versed in heathenism- The sniashui,. of 
idols excites wrath — Fear is not conquered by mockery — AninTi.sts 
not convinced by lojjic— Kvamrelical missions rwuf^nise elements of 
truth in heathenism— Importance of positive olfcr. 



16 



THE LIVIXCJ FOHCRS OF THK GOSl'KL 



. The Oosi'Ei, urinos the Personal Livino Oon 

vm.lication of tho Biblo »torio«. tiiKsricneo of mi«.i,.n.s u 

The Gospel mrinos Deliverance from the Fear a.,d 
VVousHu- OF Spirits . 



' StC|> 

fl. The Uospil brings the Love of Ood . 

r^^°!^:::ir;!^?^;^;;,te^^-a^^|f '"-i- of heathen 

of «... .nail lK,ttur heathen C-hristiuns-Sesu^wo^lllS ^.^'^^'i "''''« 
. The (iusPEL hrincs .Morality 

J^ in"!ew St-Rrtio"n T;'r* " ne„ ;„Ution io G.Ki-Then 

ph8nt.on-OlK.aience-Jesu«- examine -KreefirmSW 

bility awakened -Conscience formed ..^^ '"""*" "^''^''f'*"'"- 

7. The Gospel brings the Hope of Eternal Life 

resurrection. ^ hope-Joyous dyins- Belief in 

CONCLISION 

^o^:rZl^;Li!:!::::;^^^^'^:^ ?'ut type, of helthen 
band of colours Jjcsi.sthTunitToffh^Vfvi^rK^.^l''"''"*"^ °f "'« 
^e^™«d of aesu, ^^^^^'^l^l^tit'^iar^ 

Index 



mat 

210 



232 



261 



'Z6G 



294 



302 



309 



210 



l^- 



\J ^ 



INTRODUCTION 



:;>. 



32 



>1 



It Ih an historical fact that modern foiei^n ini««i()ns have 
produced and are producin},' inuKnificcnt results, a fact which 
cannot be gainsaid even by those who iiuve littlesyn.pathy with 
missionaries or iniBsion operations. Protestant ( 'hristendom 
ever since it began to carry into ellcct its mission thou.'hts 
has had abundant experience of tlie MnqmlU, Ihi amon^the 
heathen. Thousands, nay, millions ..f l.cathen in the most 
diverse stages of eivilisatii.ii have renounced i.lolatry ami 
entered into fellowship with the living (.,)d. They have 
turned away from idols with a genuine aversion, have given 
up the vices of lying and immorality, together with the horrors 
of bloodshed they were wont to practise, and have learned 
from their new faith to be truthful and lumest, merciful 
and kind. The (Jospel has made them new men, with new 
thoughts, new feelings, new volitions. Maiiv nominal 
Christians, some hypocrites here and there, mav be found 
among them, but countless thousands iiavc 'been truly 
converted, and have contirmed the reality of their inward 
change by a corresponding change of life. 

Mission work has accomplished even greater things than 
this ; it has gained a notable victory over entire tribes and 
nations. The Kols, the Karens, the Hattaks, the Niassers, 
the Alfurus of Minaliassa, the Waganda, the Hasutos. and 
the tribes of many South Sea Islands, are there to prove that 
the Gospel is capable of completely transforming whole 
nations, delivering them from i«k'latry ; it has turned their 
swords into ploughshares, their rule of might into a law 
fashioned by Christian principles ; it has naturalised humanity 
and civilisation in their midst. Many a heathen people, 
accepting the Gospel, has been changed fundamentally. 

In view of these results of Protchtant foreign missions it 

ii 17 



Ill TIIK LIVIN(J FOUt'KS OF THK (lOSPKi. 

should l)c a Heiwoimhlf ami profitable tank to trace out the 
effectH of the preathiii},' of tiie (Jospel in the iiiiMHioii field, and 
to enquire what powern are nioNt effective in that preaching 
for the ('hristianisinf,' of the heathen. Wherever there are 
visil.lc rcMultN the fi.rccs that produce them can be observed. 
What, then, are the forces of the (iospel that are producing 
resultH of smh importance ? The " (J<.spel," as we call it, is 
inhnitely rich and many-sided, containing a great variety of 
(iods gifts to n)cn ; it i)rings the love of Uod to a selfish 
world, all kinds of deliverance to the enslaved, truth to the 
dehujed, wisdom to the foolish, reconciliation with (Jo<l to 
the sinner, help to the suffering, a new heart to the unclean ; 
It purifies and ennobles earthly relations; it unites the 
world with (Jod ; it brings to mankind jov, peace, and 
freedom ; it emancipates the enslaved masses and invests 
the indivKlual with personal responsibility and worth. 
Which of these various gifts produces those results in the 
heathen world f Is it the lofty n.orality of Christianity that 
con,,uers the heathen ? Is it the majestic personality of the 
Son of Man or the mystery „f the Son of Uod ? Is it Jesus 
the Reconciler, or the sublime example of the fairest of the 
sons of men ? Is it the spiritual superiority of Christianity 
Its civilising power, or its promise of deliverance from sin 
and guilt ^ Arc we to regard one or other of these powers 
as central, or are we confronted with an inextricable 
intermingling of the most diverse influences whose roots 
remain undiscovered ? The practice of foreign missionaries 
has hitherto been to narrate to the heathen the stories of the 
Old and New Testaments, to instruct them in the law and 
the promises, to set forth the crucified before their eyes to 
commend the Saviour of sinners, to endeavour to awaken the 
hope of eternal life and to instruct them in the duties of a 
new life. Which of those diverse incitements contains the 
vital powers that work so mightily? Do they all work 
together? Or does the power lie elsewhere in a region 
perhaps less noticed? 

It is worth while following up this ({uestioii even at the 
risk of getting a different answer from what we hoped to get. 



INTIKHHCTIOM lo 

MisHum work can only woli- e such invoNtiKatioii in its 

own interestH. Kverv effect <.f tlio Divine wonl is, ncxlouht. 
a mystery w liich cannot be fully explained by |mvcli(.|otry nor 
divested completely of tlu' wonderful. Force "itself, cvenln the 
investigations c.f the i.hysicist, is a mystery, yet we «et nearer 
It l)y exact observation. And just as 'in'the kin<;doni of 
nature we can tmcc back deHnite phenomena to definite 
forces, and reach a more cfunplete an<l exact description 
thereof, so in the kiic^'dom of (iod observation of actual 
res! 'tH may help us to a more exact investi<,'ation of the 
forces underlying; them. ( )ur <|uestion then comes t<. this : 
vital powers are importe<l into and IxTonie operative in the 
heathen world through the preaching ..f the (Jospel ; what 
arc tho.se ({uiekcnin^ (Jospel powers f 

Should we succeed in answerinp this (lucstion the piiii 
would not be small. In the first place it would be a gain to 
the mia.sion worker. The mes8en<jer would have a clear idea 
of what was vital, es.sential, antl indispensable in his message ; 
he would know what he nuist first communicate to those he 
is seeking to evangelise. As a wise teaclier he must, at first, 
in his otfcr of salvation aim at what is central. More than' 
any other worker in the Church he is compelled to put to 
iiimscif the question : What is the -ssential element in the 
(iospcl message? Many reasons will constrain tiie mission- 
ary, especially among a primitive people, to begin with an 
offer of the kernel of the (iospel. A long after-training of 
the converts, continued even for generations, will be necessary 
ere they can enter into the fulness of its spiritual wealth. 
Hut what is the fundaniental truth which the missionary 
should offer to the heathen to enable them to become 
genuine Christians before they can acquire a full knowledtre 
of the word of ( Jod ? The missionary will always act here hi 
ordance with his own personal conception and exiwricacc 
oi what is the essence of the (Jospel. He may be wrong 
in his M.thods; he may even be materially wrong; in that 
case lie exposes himself to the danger of doubting the 
power of his message. But the more successful mission 
work becomes, the more legitimate will it be to infer from 



20 THK IJVINCJ KORCRS OF TFIK (JOSPKL 

what the hciithen nctcpt, the iiinimcp in which they aecept it, 
aiul the foricM timt are net free unions thcin hv that 
acceptance, what in the kernel an<l power of Chrintianit.v 
which niUKt Ik- emphatically prcNented us fun(htniental, anil 
what are itM less important elements to Iw sot tmdc for 
the time iM-inj,', even althoujU'li they should appear to the 
evanfjelist to l»e of the first order of importance. 

The misHionary will also srain a better umlerstandinj; of 
thi spiritual life of the heathen and heathen Christians hy 
att» ndin),' to the effects of his preachiny on the souls of hin 
hearers. He will thereby escape the dan<,'er of makinj; his 
own spiritual life, the standanl for measurin-,' the pro^'ress 
of his converts, ()r settin-,' up the course of his own imier 
devclupujent as a law (»f Christian life, bindin-; even on 
heathen Christians. He will thus be preserved from carrying 
on a propaganda rather than a mission, /.f. from labeliintr 
instead of inwanlly renewing his adherents. Fmmature 
( 'hristians arc prone to imitate the outward forms of Christian 
life which they observe in their leaders, to speak the ianjiiiage 
of Canaan, to copy the demeanour of (Jodliness and thereby 
to imi)ose upon their pastors. What is real to the preucher 
may become to them a mere phrase. An undei-standmg of 
their i)syc!iolof,ncal condition will -am the missionary aRainst 
desirin<r to see the little Daviil struttinj,' in Saul's armour, or 
brin-jiinjr up Christians a<,Minst his will, who by hypocritical 
imitation conceal those defects wiiich can scarcely be over- 
come at the present stajje of their inner life, if he sees 
clearly the effects of the (Jospel on the heathen and on tliosc 
who are l)ecominf? Christians, he will appreciate more 
accurately the supposed defects of their spiritual life an.l 
jud<,'e better of their reality. He will learn to wait with 
greater i)Mtience for fruit durin<r the period when the laws of 
si.iritual <jrowth allow nothinj? to appear save young shoots 
or rudimentary bl(»s.soms ; he will be able to Judge" .soberly 
and lovingly the results of his evangelistic lalwjurs and 
discover with tliankfulncss germs of life where the 
uninstructed eye sees nothing. The observer of missions 
from the outside will, if he takes the trouble to studv those 



V JE^V^ 



INTRODrcTlOX 21 

|K)wi'rM ill their |.n»),'rcn8ivf thvilopnient, U* iii(»rf jimt in \m 
jiiilKiiu'lit than the siipiTfiiial tritii- of iniMHionH iiMiiallv is. 

The answcriiij,' of onr .pioKtion iiiij,'l>t ' .;nrieh theVhurch 
at honii'. C'nNtoiii, with its paralvH-.v j blinding power, 
has alwa.VH prevtMited Christiai,, .,ceiii>,' wlmt roallv is 

tentral in their faith. To the pa .ercl poH.se«Nor the ^reat 
Sifts of Christiiinity easily Iweonie unintillisihie abstnu-tions 
ami ,n<.<les of speech. They un; inherited, aixl that conceals 
the real worth of them, h.reiyn missions yiel.l manif<iM 
sifts to the ('hristemh)m that proiiK.teH th.'iii*; they fructifv 
its spiritual life, quicken its various energies, aii<l i.rovi.le 
new (mtlets for Christian h)ve ; they help us t(. umlerstaml 
the ways of (iod with the nations at a time when Christian 
Churches, enfeeble.l b; ajje, have almost entirely fors<.tten the 
KUidance of their youth ; from their inosf prosperous hardest 
fields they make clear to the Christian Churches their ever 
new duties, viz., that of l)eins educators of the nations and 
not self complacent coteries of the elect. When the home 
flowers are yicldins little, missions gather fresh honey for 
theolosy. They imiy also render service to the h.une ( •hurch 
hy setting lort.i in larse unmistakable 'etters the .luickeniii.r 
powers of the (iospel. Not that Christianity needs to be 
supported by any apologetic of that sort. But not unfrc- 
quently its professors need t.. be lifte.l to a hi-her platform 
whence witii clear vision they may no longer confound what 
i« uicidentnl and secondary with v :,.,' is essential and sec'reat 
and small in their due proport= .1.^. i; ..,••. vieur of mission 
work corrects the spiritual pei i . ■ t.ve ..l'. uiihful Church 
Hut the en(|uiry is cG-.!'-.>„ted «-tl. cmsiderable 



.»; .i K.'!(> ; nswer sonie- 



lifficulties, which render the o\ \ui 

what doubtful. We must kno • '..ati.enisr;. e: actly as it is 
l.Lfore we can rightly appreciate . . .m.,u.i... ,vhich it offers 



to the (iospel. Anyone, therefore, 



tc observe the 



cttects of the Gospel on the heathen world must have a per- 
fect knowledge of heathenism. To give a true picture of 
lieathemsm, however, even although we coiiHnc ourselves to 
a single phase of it, is a very ditHcult matter. Where shall 
we fin.l an ubsoh.tely reliable accouuL of any heathen 



22 THE LIVINCJ FORCES OF THE GOSPEL 



religion ? Many observers incline to dwell unduly on its 
favourable side; others bury in the gloom of the heathen 
"night" the outline of the picture. The former under- 
estimate the downward drag, and the latter fail to see the 
distinctive peculiarities of the religion. It is hardly possible 
for travellers, in their brief sojourn and imperfect knowledge 
of the people and their language, to get a thorough know- 
ledge of their religion. The shy pagan does not care to have 
the foreigner prying into his sanctuary. Scholars whose 
knowledge of heathenism is not obtained from personal 
observation are in danger of constructing the heathen religion 
at their study table. And Christian missionaries do not 
always give the requisite earnest study to the heathenism 
tlioy wish to overthrow, especially when it is breaking up 
around them. Often they are blamed, and not always un- 
justly, for their prejutlice and their lack of understanding of 
heathen religion. Yet in the estimate and description of 
heathen religions, the rank of crown witnesses must be given 
to missionaries. Their constant living with the heathen, their 
exact knowledge of the language, customs, and legal relations, 
enable them to see into the depths of their religion more 
clearly than any other Europeans. They offer Christianity, and 
that compels them to make a thoroughgoing comparative 
study of heathenism. Their daily observation of the people 
also enables them to see heathenism as it really is; they 
witness its abominations and its demoralising powers ; they 
feel its ilarkness and might as painful realities ; they hear the 
gioans of the ojjpressed ; they see the deadly swamp of 
heathen corruption. And too often they have to experience 
in their own bodily sufferings and martyrdom the devilish 
powers of heathenism. But no one is better qualified than 
they to disinter whatever elements of truth a heathen religion 
contains, to judge whether it has representations of God and 
what they are ; whether beneath the dark surface any moral 
and religions powers lie concealed. Their love for the people 
•among whom they labour makes them keen observers, 
especially of their moral and religous life. Assuming that 
a missionary is constantly alive to the danger of unduly 



■.a«^ .,j} .iiatc't:^ 



.i*.''";:^-Ji. 



£^. 



r£..;hA'. 



Si*. 



INTROnrCTlOX 



2.1 



cm 



ph 



asising 
more 



the darker side, a dansrcr to which an evangelist 



is i)erhap.s more exposed than any other, \vc may trust him to 
give a faithful picture of actual heathenism.^ 

There is, of course, a copious missionary literature testify- 
ing to the results of the (iospel which has little to say in 
answer to our ({iiestion. The missionaries report as to the 
success of their work or the resistance that it meets. 
But they -arcly turn their attention to psychological facts. 
Because of their traditionary stand))oint, few of them take the 
trouble to trace the intricate paths along which a heathen 
heart i)ushes upwards ; they simi)ly rejoice in the fact that 
the <lisciple has reache<l the desired goal. And who would 
blame men in the midst of a life and death struggle for so 
doing? We have not many personal testimonies of converted 
heathen ('hristians. Very few of those who have found the 
way to (Jod are capable of such an accurate analysis of their 
experience as would remove all doubt of its reality. 

The world is the mission Held to-day : it is impossible to 
make so wide a region the sui)ject of any exact encpiiry ; we 
must take one definite section of it and confine (mr attention 
to that. Mission work among the animistic heathen of the 
Indian Archipelago, where that form of heathenism has few 
variations, commends itself for such study ; it possesses a 
double advantage. Heathenism in these islands lying between 
India and Australia has already been thoroughly examined. 
Mission work has also been carried on with great success 
widely throughout the whole Archipelago, in Sumatra, Nias, 
Celebes, Ambon, Ilalmalicra, and has led to the |)artial for- 
mation of national Churches of heatlieii Christians. Here, 
then, may be seen visible results ainong a genuinely heathen 
people. An exact knowledge of one form of the animistic 
heathenism of those islands, acMpiircd through personal of)ser- 
vation by a missionary who has a scientific interest in religion, 
coupled with a comparative study of the religion of kindred 

'I am inuo)i ^'ratilied at Irciiig al.lc to aililuw F'lnlVjisor K.ililcr as a 
witiii'as ill t'avoui- of tlif coiiiiH'li'iiri' »f tin' iiiiuli aliuscl niissiiiiiaiv. He 
savH : "Our niissiuuaiiis are the only iKiij.le in a |iiisitiuii to olisiTvei^ciiuiuB 
hi'atlii'nism ami tlie ellects of the (io^pfl 11)1011 it." 



21 



TIIK IJVIXCJ FORCES OF TIfK (JOSPFL 



I)ooi)leH, cnconrases us to undertake a work planned like tin- 
present. Many a jr|a„c-e will l,c thrown upon the religions (.f 
Africa and <.f other aniniiHtic peoples as Car as thev'e.xhibit 
Hmnlar features. We shall also point out in passin'ji certain 
eharaetenstic elements which belong to heathenism cverv- 
vvl.ere. Ihe niissionary mr; also be aIlowe<l to base h'is. 
m.pMry ,.„ that form of heachenism with which he is most) 
tan,.l,ar, that of the Rattaks of Sumatra. This may be taken! 
as a type of the Indonesian religion., which it is fitte<I to 
bo because of the surprisingly unif,.rm character of those 
religions. The experiences of missions amid this form of 
heathenism may p, rhaps encourage those who are familiar 
with heathen religions of a higher type to undertake a similar 
iiKjuiry. 

It will be necessary to add to one's own experience and 
obser-.-ation those of other mission workers within the pre- 
scribed region, either to c(,nfirm or to correct the results 
Obtained. Hence numerous quotations, more or less detailed 
are unavoidable. At the same time, in the interests of truth' 
we can only use such as stand the test of serious criticism! 
All anecdotage of doubtful value is, of course, ruled out. 
Men who are both critics aii.l workers guarantee the relia- 
>.l. V of our authmties. A great part of the material cpioted 
.s taken from Warneck's "Allg. Mi.<sionszeitsclirift," the 
critical sobriety of which has done much to .secme for 
missions a place among the sciences. The reports of the 
Kh.ne Missionary Society, aiul those Holland authorities 
which are mainly adduced, may be taken as absolutely trust- 

r'the' vf \ '"""r"^ .*'■"' "^ *''^ "*^''«'^''- '^Ii««i<'nstudien," 
of the hteia uie of the " Fast African Mission," of the 
Moravian lirethren." an<l others. A sober view of one's 
own mission work sharpens the eye for the real in the 
accounts of other fellow-workers. A work like the present 

tion, than of incurring the reproach of uncritical bias 

i« get a clear insight into the Divine powers of the 
l.ospel, we must take into account its entire surroundincrs as 
.t enters into the heathen world. We must begin witl, an 



<ii^kJbbi>4 .^^-Ji^.a 



IXT|{()l)r(TFO\ 



aiTount, as niitlifiil as |)(.ssil)li', of the social, moral, and 
roliuions jiractifcs of aiiiinistic lifalliciiisni, l)asiii<,' it upon 
the Hattak rcliixion. its worsliip of -rods, spirits, and souls. 
Wc shall tJK'n I'lidoavour to i-onipirhend the eoinplicate*! 
reli,u;ioHs l)eliofs and tlie cliaiacteiistic leatwres of tlie nioth'V 
cnltiis in order to estimate arij.'lit th(> nature and power of 
animistic lieathenism. This will he necessary towards help- 
in<.' us afterwards to trace the counter workinji powers of the 
(lospcl. lint hefore eonsideriiii,' these in detail the two 
I opponents, heathenism and the (Jospel, must i)e confronted 
j with each other. What is the attitude of heathenism towards 
("hristianity when first broUi,dit into contact with it;' What 
are the attractin-j; ami repellin.!,' powers they severally disj day :* 
We need to have jis exhaustive an estimate as possible of 
the natural factors which come into operation as allies of 
heathenism or of the (Jospel, to hinder or further, to open up 
the wiiyor hlock it. i*sycholo!j:ical proces.ses are complicated. 
Hnt we must not shrink from the trouble of layiuf,' bare the 
entan<,ded roots of tlu' natural causal connection. We shall 
then be in a better position to irain a clear view <»f the powers 
that transcend imman explanations, and to .see how tlie>. 
partb- restiui; on those sm-ioundiiij/ ntitural factors, partly 
workinj,' atjainst them, reveal the action of t!ie livin<,' (Jod. 
These Bomewlmt minute preliminary investi^at' riswill emible 
us^ to jipproach the tpiesticn with some prospect of success : 
What are the livinn; forces of the (Josjjcl which tell upon the 
hcjirt of the heathen and upon those who are bccominj^ 
Christian, and how do thev act ^ 



'^^^ !^'- 'M>^^:J/XlAP 



*'?.-- 



o 



ANIMISTIC HEATHENISM 



.1. BATTAK HKATIIENISM* 

AxYONK carefully observing' tlie religion of tlic iiiiiabitants 
of the Indian Artliipelajro and its effects u}>on their daily 
life, will be forced to admit that these he;ithen are very 
religious. Their habits and customs, their laws and their 
morals, their social and family life, have all a religious' fcun- 
dation. Religion seems to be the determining power both of 
the national and the individual life, and it is in their religion 
that we must seek the roots of their thoughts and the 
motives of their action.^ This would indeed give them a 
sujwriority over many so called Christian nations, if the 
reference to God or gods constituted the essence of heathen 
religiousness. So doubt gods are known, their names 
occasionally mentioned, and myths about them recounted ; 
but the gods are of secondary imnortunce for religious feeling. 
The central fact of the Indonesian religions is a feeling of 
dependence, amounting to fear, not of the Deity, but of 
sinister [)owers, spirits, and souls. It is fear of these powers 
which alone impels tho!:e heathen to seek ways and means 
of averting their pernicious influence. The gods are really 
powerless and apathetic . jectators of this conllict, and there- 
fore no one gives himself any trouble about them. 

If you ask an intelligent Battak about the i,'ods of his peo{)le, 
be will mention three names: Batara Guru, Soripada, and 

• Fertile rolluwiri'< accounl of Uattuk lieiitlu-Misin, ,7. ,1. Wanicck, "Die 
Rilif.ioii lic'i Dallak.' 

- In a piizi' essay wlikh 1 piesLiilie.l f.ii l!;ittak teachers on the theme: 
Were, tlie lieatlien Haitaks re:illy seekiiif,' (iini^ it was ahdwii tliat the 
whole life of the heathen, not only in it^ hi^ihesl nionients, but in its daily 
raniilicalions, was rdat. ■! to ri-li';i..n. The same iinjire-ssion is ^\\,u ],y 
iSi)ieth's book on the Kwe-tribes. 

27 



S, 



i 



28 



TFIE LIVIN(; I'Orjf'KS OK TIIK fJOSPEL 



AL,,-alal)ulan, with uli<..n aro associated two others, Ompu 
1 ...an Mnia .1 ja.li an,l I )el.ata A.iasi. The fir«t tlireo, usually 
ealled '-the three ^ro.ls.',i;,l not oriirinally belorif; to Hai ak 
ht-iithenisn,, l.ut wore forced on the Hattaks, as on n.anv 
other peoples of the Indian Archipela-o, by the fliudus iu 
the thnteenth and fourteenth centuries when they ruled part 
of the .,Teat Snnda Islands.' h. them we fiu.l a-ain the 
Indian Tnnmrti. The real supreme -od of the Hattaks is 
Umj.u luhan .Mula djadi, whose name sisrnifies source of 
ereation, and who is now curiously thrust into the back- 
ground To-lay Hatara (;nru (teacher) is, iu the eonscious- 
"oss of the people, the supreme .leity. The three Indian 
j,'o. s were made sons of the supreme god of the Hattaks 
nud were thus assimilated into the nati.mal faith.^ Hatara 
(.uru .s to-day worshippd as the preserver of the world, with 
whou. men have chieHy to do. He is called Hatara (Juru, 
the .,'od w^hon, one obeys, u hom one consults, on whon. one 
depends, from whom one enquires the hnv, on whom the laws 
ol earth depcn.l. To hiu, On.pu Tuhan Mnhx djadi has 
res.irncl his government of the world,^' so that he has become 
the most poj.ular of the live. After hi:n in importance comes 
Noripada, the g,.d who grants to his worshippers the blessin.r 
ol eh.Id.vn I ho evil principle that works i„ opposition both 
to gods a.ul inc., is Ma..galab.da.., who is therefore invoked 
>n l»ayc.s which arc the outcome of fear. Asiasi, who is 
sehlom ...ent.o.icd, means comiuission. I'ractically, the .lis- 

'Tl,e ili,„lu.s iKu! then ..si iMLsIk,! a iniKhty ki.iij.lom on Lva (Mcif.. 
I-'n. when..,. .Ik.,- inih.,.„,.,.,l .hc .,ast. .AnLr^.n.l iuj^c^l^:; 

'^ It is saia in a lUtUk l,.,en,l that tho.so three gods .sprang fron. a .reat 
'p wh.h »as ha,..he,i l,y a rahulouH Imtterlly, a..d thlt M^.la .Ija.li Ive 

1 .n ,. l«,.|I„,,.,,h.... ,„ ,,,,,,,, ,,.,,,^^ ,^,^^.^,^ ^,,_,^_ . 

lessens the ononrs . receive. ,int it is really only .„ exchange of „a n^^ 

s.u,l , V : ri 7 ^ """" ""^■""'" '''""' '''^ ''u.nan children; it is 
. .a .n a Lattak story : |!a,a,a <;nr„, alter I.eing oneecalh.I down to n en bv 



;•#.«-= 






■^Saii 



BATTAK IIKATHKNISM 



29 



tinctions among these five an» of little importatue : in the 
consciousness of tlie people tiicy are all jiiinMcil t()i,'ether. 
The ordinary man can jjive no explanation whatever either 
of the names or of the functions of the goils. These deities 
have really nothinj; to do with those of the Indian con(|nerors. 
Their persons are taken up into the iJattak Tantheon and 
refashioned in accordance with IJattak ideas. 

As the Itattaks rcco<,'nise (Jurn or Mula d"di as the Iii<jhest 
deity, be. o whom the other jj;o<ls recede into the !);ick;,'ronnd, 
so we find amonj,' all the peoples of the Indian Archipela«,'o 
one Sii])reme Deity. Anion-; the .Malays, such is Hatara ; 
amon<,'the Dayaks, Mahatara ; in Serawak, Hetara : in Burn, 
Lahatala; amoii|]r the (Hon,i,'adju on |{tirneo, llatalla ; in 
Sian, Duwata: amonj,' the Javanese, Dewata or Djawata: 
on Nias, KowahuiKi ; in Halmahera, DJohnmadihutn : amoiif,' 
the Toradja in Celebes, ,llai (man), etc. 

The Hattaks. like many Indiais i»eoples, imairiiie three 
worlds, one above the other. The npjxT world, with seven 
stories, is the seat of the ijjods, the middle world the abode 
of men, and the under world the home of spirits and of <lemons. 
The life of the ^'ods is like that of men ; tliey have wives and 
children, slaves and cattle ; they piny, waj,'e war, carry <»n law- 
suits, etc. Human souls are sent <h)wn from a kiml of pre- 
existence in the upper worhl to the middle world of earth. 
Men are called "<rods in the midst, ' i.e. the middle ..orld. 

Onipu Tuhan .Mula djadi is re<;arded as the creator. 
That is what the name itself means. They say of him: he 
flattens the skull, twines the kmils, sets aijoin;,' tiie heart, 
expands the liver, opens the mouth, makes clear tiie eyes of 
the sons of men. That is a recoijnition of him as man's 
creator, yet in the consciousness of the people, and in spite of 
myths, that belief falls into the backjrround. There are also 
legends current which re|)resent man as born now from an 
egg iiatched by a fabulous fowl, now from a nmshroom, and 
now from an animal. On other Indian islands, man is 
supposed to have sprung from a woman who came down from 
heaven and was impregnated by the wind, or again the first 
man grew (tut of the earth, or on trees, or on a bamltoo. 



30 TFIK LIVIXO FORCES OF TIIK (;()SPKL 

The general l»elief in the Ristcrn Islands of tiic Archipelafro is 
that men have sjiruiiff from nature, while that of tlie niyth- 
fornjing Western Islands is that they came into heinjj thnmjjh 
a creative act c.f (lod. This latter conception underlies the 
nature myth that the sun as male principle enters into union 
with the earth as female principle, and from that union man 
proceeds.* Other Indian peoples declare that (Jod formed 
the first human pair out of stone and that the wind breathed 
life into the stone in)a!?e (Toradja), sojue say aRuin that (Jod 
made the first man of earth (Ilalniahera). 

There exists a long Battak narrative about the creation of 
the world. Si Morn |)ariidjar, d:iun;hter <»f Omjm Tuhan 
Mula djadi, was one day in company with her younjier sister 
windinjj: yarn in the upper world. The yarn was'soon finished, 
hut the hall of the elder despite lier efforts <,'rew no larger 
than an egg. In her vexation she let it fall ; it fell down 
to the middle W(.rld, which already existed in a state of 
mud; she held still the end of the thread in her hand. 
Down this thread she herself slid to the middle world, where 
all trace of her was lost in the mud and water. In her 
distress she sent the swallow .Mandi and a l)cetle (messengers 
of God) to her father praying him to send her a handful of 
earth. This she spread out upon the water, thereby creating 
the earth, and there she took up her abode. Then came 
Naga Padoha, a fabulous Dragon, and destroyed the newly- 
created earth. The heavenly virgin created the earth a second 
time, and a second time the Dragon destroyed it. At her 
request her father caused the earth to be dried up ; she then 
found the Dragon and outwitted him. I'lider pretence of 
clothing him with ornaments she secretly bound him so that 
he could no longer move. Once more she created a new 
earth which subsisted. According to another variation she 
thrust a sword, up to the hilt, into the body of the fettered 
Dragon. When he sometimes rolls himself about he produces 

' AVfi come uiioii the same notion amoiif; tlie Ewe. The m.aseuliiie sun 
marries the femah- earth iSj.ietli). The eartli is .alle.l "Our Motlier " 
Sli,. is til.' lieavenly maid, who in union with heaven has l)eKotteii men 
beasts, au.l phiiits, nay even the go.ls of eanh (Kniyt. " Animisme," \,. OS)' 



ii'T'Sj*^ 



i^^« 



'^^A'WWBmi 



BATTAK IIKATIIKNISM 



:n 



m 



an earth(|Uiike and men cry Huhul (i.r. sworii^ripc), that they 
may remind iiim of his captivity and helplossness.* 

Tlie creation Icfjend is transmitted in another form in the 
sonthcrn province Annk«)la. I^atara (Jnrn,- they say, once 
went down into a chasm and there, on the horns of a buck 
whicli he had taken witii liim, built a raft ; on this lie spread 
out the earth, lie cause<l trees to j^row for the ravens and 
swallows, who were the first iidialtitants of earth, then he 
created the sun and moon ; finally, he created men out of 
earth which had l)een brou<<;ht from the uj»per world. These 
men he animated through ma^^ic formulas and gifted them 
with speech. 

Of the five chief j^ods there are neither i)ictures nor 
symbols. They arc worshipped neither in temples nor in 
holy places. They do not even traliic with men throu<;h any 
media. Men have little to do with them, and their names 
arc only met with in myths and prayers. More important 
for religious feeling, because nearer to men, are the tleities of 
second rank, inferior gods, who are not of human origin, such 
as ancestors, who are yet mainly worshipped though not 
dependent on the chief gods. They are more feared than the 
gods who are far off in licaven ; and they are more needed in 
the village and in the field. Hence the first place is always 
given them in the sacrificial prayers. Several of them are 
worshipped through media or symbols, cipher animals or 
images. In them are embodied powers of nature which bear 
more directly upon the welfare of men than those nebuloi- 
gods. Such is the Uebata idup, a masculine and a feminine 
deity ; in whom is worshipped the power of generation. 
This deity confers the blessing of children the lack of which 
is felt by uncivilised man to be the greatest misfortune. He 
is worshipped in the form of two wooden images, one 
ma.sculine the other feminine, and these symbols are carried 
round the house on the backs «)f the married pair while entreat- 

' The Niassers liavp a similar Iciiciiil about tlio gi^nsis nl' lliv oailli 
(Smiderniaiin, "Die luscl Nias"). 

-In tliis inoviiicf, wliicli is more sulijoct to Malay iiillnencc, it is sif^nificaiit 
that the creator of the world is not Mula djadi Imt liataia Uuni. 









t- 1I^}R3S^] 



'iA^J^^^l!^3^^J*xi*r 



32 TIIK [JVIN(J FOIU'KS OK TIIK (JOSF'KL 

injj the blctwinj; of cliildrcii. Haras pati in tano is a kiiully 
cartli fnx], ill whom is pcrsoiiified the fruitful j)owor of the 
earth. The niiituriiifi of tiio fruits of tlie field is of the 
fjroatest importance to an a^T'cultural people ; conHetptently 
this deity is more feared and worshipped than till the 
heavenly ^'ods put tojjetlier. lie is the lirst to he invoked 
in all saeriticial prayers. He is eoneeivcil as dwelling on the 
earth, and is seen embodied in the house lizanl whose imof^e 
is very often found in houses. Horu .Sanian<i; Naga is a 
feniiile water spirit, in wliom is worshipped both the beneficent 
and the destructive powers of water. Bora nu .Mara is a 
spirit of the air who causes disease. The worship <•'" .uch 
semi-deities is met with everywhere in Indonesia. The 
powers of .iat:,re that arc worsiiippcd in them are thought 
of as independent of the Creator of the worhl, whose power 
does not extend to the matter or forces of the worhl. The 
water deities, the Saniang or Sangiiinj;, are specially popular 
on many islands of the Archipehigo. That is not surprising 
among islanders, who arc so often in i)eril of water and who 
yet owe to water the greater part of their means of living. 
In addition t<» these there are innumerable local deities who 
owe their origin to the fear of volcanoes, wliirlpocds, water 
falls, and such strange and impressive phenomena of nature. 
There is no precise distinction between these local nature 
deities and the ancestors who arc supposed to <lwcll in such 
|>laccs. There is also a worship of the beneficent and the 
destructive ^)owers of nature alongside the worship of the 
Creator, but with \u> inner connection l)etween them. The 
significance of the Creator for religious feeling has fallen into 
the background. The mystt.'ous powers of nature are more 
considered because more feared. Their worship narrows the 
religious horizon. To the Animist what threatens most 
danger demands most careful service li propitiation. 

An example of the way in which myths originate through 
fear of uncomprehendctl natural phenomena is given by a 
legend current among the Uattaks on Samosir, which seeks 
to explain the eclipse of the sun and moon. In the remote 
olden times the sun had seven sons, all of whom scorched the 



BATTAK HKATHKNISM 



.■».'< 



earth iw hotly iix their mother. Men could not endnre their 
heat, and in their distress sent the swallow to the moon. 
heHeeeliiny him to eonie and lielji them. The moon aureed 
t«i ilo s«), but re(|uired of men a promise that thev woulil come 
to his help ajjainst the sun if siie should mm in enmity 
aij^iinst iiim. Thereupon the moon sei^e<i all his ehildren 
(the stars) aud concealed them, lie demunded of men a yreat 
«|uantity of betel leaves, of lime, jind all oilier material ofsiri- 
chewini,'; he chewed these all up, and f..|le(ted the l>lood-red 
Juice in seven larye bowls. Then In- called to the miii and 
said: I have slain and eaten all my .liildien, <lo von kill 
and slay yours also, lii proof of his statement iie showed 
the seven bowls, the red contents of wliicli locked like blood. 
The sun ajjreed, eau<.,'ht her seven suns, view and ate them. 
iJut the moon afterwar«ls set his (•lii!<lieii, the stars, at lilnrty. 
The sun saw that she had been deceived, and waired war on 
the moon ; she j,'athered liire<l warriors, spirits of the air 
called Ian, ami sent them ajjainst tiie moon. An eclipse of the 
noon meant that tiie sun's warriors were pressing the moon 
hardly. Then men were niider oblii;ation to help the moon 
bycryinj,' with all their mijilit : Set the moon at liberty aj^'ain, 
you warriors of tlie sun. Conversely an eclipse of the sun 
takes |»Iace when the moon's warriors, who were called laha, 
violently assailed the sun.' 

We have seen that one root of the Uattak reli<,'ion. and that 
the weakest, is its relation to mythological deities. A second 
root, the most vi^'orous of all. is the fear produce*! by the 
secret uncompiehendcd powei-s of iiatuii'. 'I"hcr<' i> a third, 
very delicate and very dilliciilt to discover, thoui,'Ii deejdv 
imbedded in the soul of the peojile. The c\e, searching,' in 
the darknes.s, |»crceives the outline of a thoiiiilit of some 

' This iiiarvfllous mylti isal.sn IkiiihI Hiiicnif; ntlnr |i...|,lr~. Knui >|..,i|^s 
(if a sitniliir Iiv'i'IhI in mill ( clflxs. Siiinliiiii.iiiii likiwi-.. vavs tli.it tlic 
Kiasscrs .s|MMk III the sun liiuiiin slain lit-r I'liil.lifn. It Is strikiii;,' tn .•dtnt? 
ii|n>n tlic sain.' li^nd in tlic Kwc ti ilns in Tojjd, tli,in;.'li « ill .ml any ntVimi >.• 
to thi' fcliiwi' dl' till' MKiiiii. Tlic S;iiitals in Imlin Ikivi' ;i!si a >iin!lai iiiytli. 
The woman " lln' nmnn " |Mrsii;i(l('s thf nnm " tin- siin " In t-.it nji liis mjus, tin. 
iliiy stilts, l.y inaintiiiuiiif; tliat slu' Ijail iilioaily v.n,:\i np liir ilau^jhtt is, tlit- 
uifjlit stars, lircausc ol this ilrfcption thf siiii is ti> this Innii i-nnn'tni 
«i;-iinsi till' nii-iiiii. inil niir.iipv )j,.r t!!!i)ii!;h the hi'ivi-ii- . 
C 



j'l 






..^ 



34 THF MVI\(J FORCES OF TIIK (JOSPEL 




ommipotont power rci<;iiin}; over sill th«ini> ileitioH. Among the 
Hiittaks tlii.s is rctioi-to*l in the ^oiierHl iiaiiic Debata, i.r. f;o<i. 
lie JH ealied Niiiiplv ^o<l, also lord an*l grandfather. Tlie 
idea which is liere eonu- upon of a .supreme (iod is very vajjue, 
and is always in cunlliet with animistic feeling. All these 
chief Ko<'* an*' "" fjreat chiefs arc called Debata. (Jreat 
chiefs are to their subjects the hi<;iiest beinifs, becau.se they 
are most to be feared.' Kvcrythin;; wonderful and wortliy 
of veneration — ancestors, distin<;uishcd men, wihl beasts, 
strikin<^ objects of a liiiilier civilisation — is called jjrandfather. 
The myths about the deitic .ire not all the common posses.sion 
of the iteojile, but however dim the not' )ns alxmt them are, 
the heathen Hattak divines in the Debata the Lord who 
reijiii^ !• r f!ie universe in general a'ifl over num in particular. 
To Him men turn instinctively in special <li.strc.sh. One often 
hears in daily life expressictns such as " evcrythinjj depends 
on (Jod," "we are in (Jod's haiuls, ' "that depends on (iod," 
"as (Jod <;rants," "(Jod is ijraciou.s." There are beautiful 
proverbs about (Jod — " a drop of dew with (Jod's blessin<; 
makes a feast," "what (Jod docs man must not chanjic," 
" Ciod rises and looks down ujton those who suffer wron<;, " " do 
Hftt follow cr<;.>ked ways for riches come from (Jod," "(Jod is 
a risihteoHs .ludfje, " "wherever we sit (Jod is jtrcsent " (Jod, 
not Mula djaili or any other i^od of niytholojjy, is at least 
divined in tiie popular cimsciousness as the recjuiter and 
•ruardiau of riijjht.- Hence the oath, which appeals to (Jod 
the .Judiic, is held sacred, and judjinuMits of (Jod are a 
dreade<l iiIiIiiki rntio in the administration of justice. The 
suspected criminal, for example, is allowed to Lrrasp the red 
hot iron or dart it at another. Kven war is conceived as 

' 1 1 I'lirlja, OH the Siii of TdIhp, tlio hciitlicu asktil a Hattak ivangelist ; 
" I^ tlifif really tlit'ii a Dcliata liesidcs Tiian I'uilia," tjic he.id chier. The 
lieatlii'n of Uliiaii saiil tn I'.iiuli tlic mission.iiy when he [Hiached tu them 
about (ioil, "Tli<m ait oui Dehata." The ll.isiito eliiut' .Maleo declaieil to 
(initzncr. the iiiissioiiaiy : " Who is (Imj, I ;iiij (ImJ. " 

- The N'iasseis .also have heautil'iil ploveibs about iioil. They call Him the 
rpijuiter ol},'ooil and evil, " it rests with Ood," "(ioii kills and makes .ilivc," 
"(iod is only a handbreailth above us." For all that they Ij.ivc no (car of" 
(Iod, for liowalangi is a i^ood spiiit wliom we do not need to bring into a 
tViiliillv IHood bv .saeritiee. I'ear ::lune iniliels to worshiii. 



vm'- ..&:^fc,- 



HATTAK IIKATIIKXISM 



36 






a jiiclgiiicnt of (io<I. Tlu' side which Iiiih one xlaiii fir«t ix 
shown l),v (mmIV jiul<;nii>nt to !>«• in tin- wrony.' Ilcntf jit 
the liojjinninf,' of every hattio tlie warriors pray to (!o«l tliat 
He wonlil lielp the rijjhteous canse to eonipier. 

Tile above-named tleities have no rehition whatever to 
morality. They are not thon<,'ht of in thow moral sayin^H 
and lejjal actions. No Hattak, of eonrse, can explain why, 
in nniny situations of life, he i)asses over liatara (iiirn and the 
other jjods, ami feels that he is relatetl to the Dchata. That 
can only be explaine«l by assuming that there is in the 
popular consciousness the remains of a purer idea of (lod, 
alon^ide antl above the rccojjnition of a plurality of <;ods, 
u y'ldw also that cannot be derived from those. Belief in 
(jod hud been reduced, by nature worship, fear of spirits and 
moral coarseness, to a state in which it was no longer 
recognizable. The host of spirits, born of fear, thrust them- 
selves between (io»l and man, and left behind that fade«l 
imatje of (iod. which still throws a faint shadow on the 
feclin<?8 of the people, but not on its thoiifrht, which is there- 
fore so full of contradictions. Witlumt that assumption we 
are in presence of an eni<,'ma. Whence comes the idea of a 
supreme Deity exalted above all which is no htuirvr under- 
stood by the heathen of to-day, and which has became a nu-re 
phrase on their lips^ It cannot have been distilled from (he 
motley jumble of the worship ot gods and of nature, for it 
exists alon<j;side of it, and that not in the form of a thought 
victoriously carried out, but in direct opposition to it. In all 
the religions of the Indian Archipelago, and proliai)lv also oi 
Africa, we meet witii the idea of .^ud as of a dinilv felt 
highest court of apjteal, entliroiud above all the gods that 
are known and named.- He is not worshipped ; He is 

' Wf liiid lliis a|>pcal to till' ju'ii;innit i>r(!oil cvi-ii aiiioiig |1|.' Tiii-kIih ,,ii 
C'l'lclii's. "Till' aim of llie jii(ij.'iiLriit (ilCo't is In let a niattcr In ■Klriiiiiijed 
liy till- >,""1^-' VmU [laity is iisknl to tlniisl a laini- into the iiitli, ami that 
Jiai ty wliDsi' «|i( ar jjois doip.st has won. In this lase the i-artli ilcitv (h'cides. 
l.)r thi'V ilivo uii'lci- water, and the -inc w!io irniains l»>n.i;<st nnlei' watt r lias 
i just csnsi'. Hi'ii' tilt' watir <leitiis di'iidc. 

- I,ivingstnnf has sonicwhcii' said. Tlitip is no net'l tt> spiak ol the 
-ifenee of Uod. or of k future life, even anioni; the lowest tribes, lor thess 
■ii;:!:d tii-.tli- aniOTi-I '.'■■:■,;> 



k 



^ 

h 



e\l 

art" jjiiirr:* 



I w 



36 THE LIVFNG FORCES OF THE .OFIEL 

scarcely even feared; He in so little known tb.i ujiinn^- cm 
be said about Uiin, save that one occasionally flees to Him. 
He is really in contradiction with the form in which those 
heathen religions apijcar to-day. The realities of animistic 
heathenism to-day are Tolytlieism and worship of spirits, 
together with the fear and magic which accompany them.' 
Nevertheless, though painted over with colours of the 
loudest tints, the delicate outline of the original picture has 
not been entirely eflaccd. 

The idea of (Jod is dindy preserved ; the worship of (iod is 
almost entirely lost. A man stands in no relation to the far- 
oft' gods, and needs not to fear them. Consequently he has 
no interest in having any communication with them ; he hivs 
little sense of dependence on the gods, but always feels 
that he is dependent on the spirits of the dead (as will be 
shown further on). The commcm man hardly knows the 
names of the gods.- These names are of course invoked in 
the sacrificial prayers, but only in imion with the lower 
demons and ancestors. The spirits are always the first to 
be invoked. The heathen are afraid to pass over a deity in 
their formulas (.f prayer and therefore heap name upon name. 
Prayer with them is not a (juestion of Divine worship freely 
offered, but a necessary means of averting a calamity. The 
angry deity nmst be appeiised, his jealousy averted, his ill 
will set aside.3 The Battak christians use a word for prayer 
different from that of the heathen, knowing well that the 
magical fornmlas of the heathen cannot be called prayer. 
Such a prayer will run somewhat as follows : O, grand- 
father Horas pati ni tano, who dwellest in our village, hdp us 

' .Sunilermanii testifies „f the NiasstTS : " Tlii-y know of a Sii|,i,-me Beiiiir 
ami fivciueiitly iianif Him. Hut tliou-,'h His name is constantly on tl.i-ir lipsj 
and th.' Iii^'lu'st power is ascribed to Him, there is hardly any real veneration 
or worship" (Siinilerniaiin, "Nias," p. 5!)). 

■-'"A Toradja is perfectly alive to tlie i.lca of the soulstulf. But if asked 
alMiut his gods and spirits he may repeat something he has casually heard 
but will generally refer the .juestioner to his pii.'st " (Kruyt). 

^The heathen (the Hindu) does not pray to him in the usual ^ense of the 
word, but attem{.ts to conjure or constrain him. to negotiate with him, or to 
Hatter him 



BATTAK HEATHENISM 



37 



in front and defend us hdiind.' (Jrundf 



Rod 



Is i" the uppermost lieijjlits in the liiirhest 1 



iitheix, yoii three 



-- .. „ Jieaven, on 

the rolli.iR stone supplied with steps. Come down, grancl- 
fatlier, from the perforated wood, from the upper "ods 
to the lower ( -men). Hear us, (Jrandfather IJoras pati ui 
tano. (Jrandfather Hatara (Juru, Hatara (Juru whom wc 
obey, Batara (iuru whom we eousult, liatara (Juru on whom 
wc all depend. Here, Knmdfather, is your sacrifice, a horse, 
a Hsh, a siri. Be at one with our -,'randfather Soripada, Sori 
the blameless, Sori whom we consult, Sori on whom we 
depend. Here is your sacrifice, a horse, a fish, a siri. He at 
one with our j,'ran<lfather Mansalahulan, wlu. is frreat at the 
befjinning and jrrcat at the end. Here is vour sacrilice. 
Be at one with our grand father Mula djadi, the great one ; 
overshadow us, grandfather, protect us, thou who art the 
origin of things created, who llattenest the skull, opcnest the 
ear, settest agoing the heart, expandest the liver, and .lividest 
the fingers from each other. ( ), g„d Asiasi ^, who hast sent 
us into the world, have compassion on us. (), grandfathers, 
and all ye who are worthy of veneration (secondary gods and 
ancestors), ye who are round about on the mountahis and the 
clouds. Here are your sacrifices. ... (j, Mother Boru na 
mora, Boru Sanianguaga, here arc your sacrifices, etc. The 
following prayer shows the things that are prayed for : ■'— 

He at Dili' witli mu- grand fiilluT ihi; greut go<), 

Who 'Teati's thf Iwly, flatleii.s the lircjihl, 

Fixes lilt- heart, gives strength to the <alf of the Itg, 

Makes the head round and the eye elear. 

Who makes the ear to hiar. Thine ear liears, 

Thine eye i^ clear. To guard and keep us, so that we are healthy 

and well. ( (rant us sons wlio shall he warlike, 
Men of counsel and champions. 
(;rant us daughters who cjin cook a gieat pot, 
Who are clever at weavini'. 

' The power nC p.irth as most im[)ort;int to m»n is first invoked not the 
.■hiof ;,'ods. 

-The god Asiasi is mentioned only mci.lratally i" the j.rayer formulas und 
no one can tell anything about him. 

^Spieth say.i of the Ew« negroes that they oiler sacrilicM, and pray to God 
Jircotly, but slIU more do they piay to their ancestors. 



' \\ 



*.r 



i 



/ 



38 THE FJVINT. FORCES OF THE (JOSPEL 

Th(> stars aro nuniorons, tho clouds gather into balls, 
So let (iiir son,-- lie nuiiiernus and our (laughters iiiultiplv. 

Prayers arc ollored lor tiie jiiowtli of the crops and for the 
stock of cattle, for hetilth and victory, iiiid numerous descen- 
dants. Animistic hoiithciiisni knows notliinu; <»f prayer as a 
froc oiitpourinjj; of tlie hctirt.' Only certain persons, such as 
priests and chiefs, can coniniit to nieniory the traditional 
formulas. The chief <;ods are never invoked in tlie jmiyers 
alone, hut always in connection with itinl after the semi- 
deities. The existence of stich nohly-sotindini; prayers must 
not Iciid us to infer that the hetitiien have intercourse with 
(Jo(t, and pour out their hearts to ilim. For the prayers are 
not in the Krst instance directed to Ilim, Imt to the ancestors 
and earth spirit> who are most fetircd. Thev are vain rcpeti 
tinns of lixed formidas with which the ordinary sacrifices arc 
presented. They ;ire oidy uttered at ijreiit festivids of the 
trihe, or in cases of misf(trttine. While the worship of spirits, 
which we shtill describe later, is familiar in its minutest rami- 
fication to every one, the wttrship of the gods is a matter for 
the priests or the tribal chiefs. Intercourse with the o;ods is 
thrown on them, because they alone htive the necessary 
knowledjje. The same thinj^ is seen everywhere in the Indian 
Archipelago.- 

Sacrifice is but rarely ottered to the gods. The animal 
mostly sacrificed is the white horse. It is either solemnly 
slaughtered in presence oi' the wh()le tribe, in which case the 
blood is regaiilcd as an ottering, or it is devoted to (Jod, and 

' A heatlii-n piiest owr told inc that he jirayed (hiily fur his son, who was 
in rail.ui!^, that God would he with liim. I5iit wlu-n I iiiontioiicd this to the 
christians and catecluimons, and uskcii thoni if that was formerly the custom, 
they said it was not: and if tli(> statement of the priest was true liis piayors 
were to he a,-erihed to tlie intluenee of the ^'ospid wliieh he has heard liere. 

-Man is not familiar with them (the ^^ods) lieianse their natuie is entirely 
dillVrent from liis, and inconceivable to him. Hi' cannot tlierefore simply 
aildress or invoke them. He nmst know the way in which they are to he 
approached. Thus originated the need for jiriests and iirieste.sse» as inter- 
mediaries between s]iirits and men. These priests must have a highly 
developed doctrine of the gods, so that we now know an entire .systjm of 
gcils and spirits among unciviliscj men ...riiyt, '• AuimLsme," ]i. 162). 



HATTAK MKATIIKMSM 



30 



then allowed t<» live, liiit it must not be sold. Tiiis fiinetion 
of dedieation is jierlornied by t'ne saeiitiein<^ i>riest. 

Tlie lieathen in certain eircumstanees do not slirink from 
decoivini,' tlie jjods, Tliey offer an e!,% deeiarini,' to tlie deity 
that they are !i;ivin<x liim a white biitfalo.' "Torailjas and 
Min.iliassers end the (hiy by ;in imitated crowing in order to 
mislead the j^nds with rc<:ard to the duration of a saerifieial 
festival. " The Hattaks. when they cross the sea aiul pass 
the dwellinir-idaee of any deity, call upcm him, assurinj; liini 
that the buffulo which they have in the boat is only a j;oat.- 
They are not even ashanud to curse Ood vhenthirn^s do not 
fjo aeeordinj,' to their mind. Many old Icijends state that 
men declared war a<i;ainst (Jod and bombarded Ilim from 
a UKUintain. 

They believe that in earlier uiul better (hiys there was m«)re 
intercourse between gods and men. Heaven was tlien nearer 
earth, and the <i;ods could be reached from a <iii;antic nick in 
the province of Ani^kola, till men maliciously destroyed it. 
Many le<;ends tell how the sons of men found the way into 
heaven, and had communion with the Supreme (iod, and how 
daujihters of the <fods cauu- down to earth and contracted 
marriages with men. Accordinjjf to another narrative (for 
every province has a ditt'erent tradition) (Jod was iiidi<i;iKint 
because men had ceased to worship Ilim, and earth stank in 
His nostrils. He destroyed Mount Tiii<j;jj;ir radja, which had 
hitherto enabled men to reach the jjods, and removed heaven 
far iiway from earth so that all intercoinvse between (lod and 
men ceiised. Such lejjends presupjtose a dim remembrance 
of happier days when men were netircr (Jod. 

Belief in ami worship of (Jod and the f,ods, as above des- 
cribed, falls into the back;^round in the '•elifi;ious life of the 
Hattaks, and of all other iidiabitants of the Indian Arclii- 
pelai^o. They touch the merest frinjj;c of their religious life. 

' Tliey !ict eoiivi'iscly towaiils iiinii frotii louiti'sy. Tlicy ]iii'M.'iit a fat (lig 
for tlioir cntiitainmcMt, and say it is Diily a litllr cliii'kcii. 

"Tlip N'iasscrs.ict similarly. Iiistoail nf the ilng that is cine tliry scmu'tiiiies 
otl'er its oars, its tail anil hair, whiih arc biirii-il instfad of the aiiiuial. Tiie 
dog is at the sanif tiiiic li>il tlirini).di the ^ravo. 




to 



TIIK LIVIN(; FORCKS OF THK (JOSI'EL 



n.o little that OIK. can Iran, about them from inquiry is 
esoteric WIS.I011,. aiKi has little iiiHuenee on the life of 'the 
people. The honlerlaiid and central fjround is filled by 
somethii.ir else, the fear of lower denmns and of spirits of the 
dead ..ut of which fear sprin-s superstition and ancestor 
worsh,,, T.. iindei-stand ari-rht this spirit worsliin, which 
puts forth the most wonderful blossoms, we must fii-st make 
ourselves ac.piaintcd with the soil out of which it sprin.rs up 
a Inxiinant weed. The soil is Animism, that conception .'f 
life, so stranjrc to us, which places the soul, the soul-power, 
the hi.- stiiH, in the centre of reli-ious interest. 

We take the word Animism in the widest sense in which it 
■s used by the modern science of reli^rion, as indicating that 
view of the world which, on the basis of primitive notions of 
the soul, leads partl.v to animalism, partly to anthn.nism 
(u-oi-ship ol the dea.l. ancestor worship, spiritism), au.l belief 
m demons \ hcev.-r spirits are worshipped. Animism is 
louml to be the i)resuppositioii of spiritism. The Battak 
people have -..t bey.md the primitive stairc of Animism 
though they plainly exhibit all its characteristie features! 
Anmiism is m some sort the philosophy of the uncivilised 
man, in virtue of which he constructs for himself a picture of 
the worhl so far as he has an interest in it. It is occupied 
with the soul of the liviufr man as well as with the souls of 
all hvin- creatures, or-anisms, and even lifeless objects, to 
uhich It likewise ascribes a soul, or to speak more correctly 
soul-stufl. I Ins soul-stuff then becomes the object of wor- 
ship. I'roui a universal soul, an indestructible store of life 
.vmf,' souls flovv to men, animals, plants, metals, instruments,' 
houses ete W hatever participates in this life-stuff is 
valuable and <lesira!.le. The vital question for the Animist 
lis how to place his own soul in relation to the souls 
surrouM.lin- him, and to their powers, which are partly 
■ njurioiis aiKl ,,artly useful, with as little danger to himself 
iind as much advahta<,'e to himself as possible. What must 
I do to protect and enrich my soul ? That i.s the cardinal 
question of the animistic catechism. Animism is the key 
to an understanding of ancestor worship, and all that is 



BATTAK HRATHKMSM 



41 



commonly called heathen superstition. An exact aequain 
tance with it is indispensable to an understandin<j of 
iieathenisni, because it is found all over the earth, and seems 
to be the foundation of spirit v orship everywhere, and not 
only aniouf,' the peoples of the Indian Archipelajjo.' Wc 
find traces of it in almost every rcfjion of the earth, and 
every student of relif,non must reckon with it. The study of 
Animism jjives a surprisinj; insijjht into the inner life ami 
thought of primitive peoples. With all its stranjjeness this 
exotic world of ideas proves that even the " savage " thinks, 
and feels the need of a reasoned view of the world. 

To the Animist the "soul " is something entirely ditterent 
from what we understand it to be. It is an elixir of life, a 
life-stuH', which is found everywhere in nature. Man has 
two souls, one of which, the i)odily soid, pertains to I.. 
durinj,' his life-time. It is a power outside liimself condition- 
iuf,' his earthly wcllbeing, l)ut does not essentially belong to 
his person ; at death it returns to the animistic storehouse. 
The otiier soul, the shadow soul, emerges only when the man 
dies. It is the shadowy continuation of his jK-'rson, the part 
of his individuality that continues to live. The soul of the 
living man is conceived as a kind of life-sluflF, indestructible 
and animating alternately this man and that.- Among 
peoi>les of a lower grade the soul stutt' is conceived im- 
personally as a vital power which at the death ol its })reHent 
{M)sse88or, passes over to something else, man, animal, or 
plant. Higher developed peoples conceive the soul as a 
refined l)ody, to some extent an alter ego, a kind of man 
within the man. But this soul never coincides with his 
person, but renmins outside his consciousness. It is handed 

' The missionary, A. C. Kniyt, has given a tliomufjhly acinntifio account of 
Animism in the In.lian An-liipelago, the study of which cannot he loo highly 
commended to all who are interested in the subject ("Het animisme in den 
Indischen Archijiel "). 

^ ^ Kven the pantheistic Hindu has a materialistic conception of the soul. 
There is always a kind of spiritual body corresponding; to the material one. 
The I. does not belong to the soul, but is an attribute of the bodily life, a 
materialistic product. There is no organic connection between the pan- 
theistically coloured soul and the niaterialistically determined individual. 
That corporeal ises the i>ersoDal consciousness. 



'ii 



I 



12 



THK FJVIX(; FORCKS OF THK (JOSPKf. 



over to man at Im <onfc'i.ti<.n from the loan ottiec ot nature 
lint It IS M) nKlepcn.lcnt and incalcilal.le a tlniifr that it may 

at an> moment leave l.in. for a lonf,'er or a shorter period, as 
or example m dreams, „r when it is frifjhtencd, or when it 

tliinks Itself msnited. 

The well-bein- of the man depends u,H.n its moods. It 
can he nonrished, strengthened, and aufrniented : it can also 
be weakened, diminished, and enticed away. 

This i.lea of the soul as an independent power, in and 
Leside the man, is met with amonir many ,,eoples in all parts 
of the earth. We Hnd it everywhere in the Indian Arehipel- 
affo, amoncr the Kols, the Karens, and elsewhere in the 
remote parts of India, in ( >eeania ami Afriea, and amonR the 
Hush ne<,'roes of Suriname.' 

The fo||„„-i„fr pajres will furnish numerous pro<,fs of the 
world-wide sway of Animism. It is extremely instructive to 
traee its diflusion in the way Wnmit ha^ done in his 
' syeholojry of Peoples. Many a wrong eoneepticm of 
rel.-ions a-Ml social usa-e is thereby corrected, and many an 
obscure custom set in its true li-ht. Wundt <liseloses the 
continuity of animistic usa-es all over the earth so far as 
that can be done with the material at present available. It 
>s nn,,uestionably a universal law of reli-io,, and of psycho- 
logy that primitive notions of the soul persist most tenaciously, 
hvei, ,„ the higher religions, ami in the heathenism that exists 
m < liristemlom, wc find numerous usages of animistic origin. 
Buddhism, Confucianism, and Mohammedanism have nowhere 
concpiered this most tenacious of all forms of reli^rion ■ they 
have n..t even entered into conHict with it: it is "only' over- 
come by faith in Jesus Christ. 

The soul pervades the whole body, all the members of 
wliieh are sharers of the soul-stuff, and tlieref.)re have a life 
of their own, a feeling ..f their own, an.l a will of their own. 

on the Kols a.,,1 .Santals ; Iw.yt. A.l.iani, an,i Cuol.sii.aon N.tlu.rlan,! In,iia • 

.>>pu.,l. o„ tho Kwo ; I.:,,,,le,- <,„ Ma.ia.as.ar an,| the Karens ; Kuu.o on New 
Ouinea; Rosier on the .<,han>l,ala ; ,Schnei,ler on .Suriname; W,.n,lt '• ^0^ 
kerpsyeholo-ie,- Hamlll., etc. ' 



HATTAK IlKATIIKMSM j.< 

It is not the man who sees uiul liears hiuI walks and hreathes. 
Iiiitthc eye sees, the ear hears, the loot walks, and the month 
breathes. It is not the man who fn-ls pain, hnt the |>art of the 
body wiiere the j.ain is located. If tiie soni stnH' is remove«l 
from a memiier it feels pain and Invo-nes ill.' In man and 
bca.st this soni-stnlf is ionnd speeially abundant in the head. 
Ilenee, in the division of focxl. the lieail of the shiu-^htered 
aninnd is always allotted to the eliief. Ilead-hnntin;,' has 
its root in this idea. The vital power and eonraiie of the 
dea»l num is aj)propriated by him who possesses his sknll.-' 
Medieine and ma<j;ie are mad(> out of hnman heads. The 
soul j)owtr is also found eoneentrated in the intestines, in 
the liver, ami, therefore, in saeritiee the liver of thi- aninnil 
is ottered.' In India the liver is reijarded as the seat of 
feeliufj:. They say, " my liver is in "jood eondition," that is, 
I am in a pleasant state of feelin-:, or " my liver is hot," that 
is, my wrath is risinj,', ete. There is mueh .soid-stuff in the 
blood, for life ebbs away with the blood. Ilenee, in the 
saerifiees that are otrere<l to (mxI. blood is an element. It is 
smeared on the beams of a house that is to be eonseerated, that 
happiness and vital power may dwell there. If any one obtains 
some of anothers blood, he thereby <;ains power over him. 
Strength is imparted by drinkini,' the blood of the slain foe.* 
In Xia.s the carved imai^es of ancestors are smeared with 

' Tlif Mciitawcy isliiii.iiTs say. Tli.' ('.■>,'Ht liu.s •■„,„• Innii tlir part ol" the 
liody tliat is iiaiiiril. 

- Hi'a.i hmitiii;- i- IoiuhI, lur , xaiii].!. , uii Nias, tVlcbos, liorneo, among 
the l'ai>iiaiis. tonu.rly, |.iol,al,ly, i„ tli.^ »hoI,' ln<liaii Aiihi|iclarr(). On 
.SnlomiMi IMamlsaiid also .iiiuiiij,' the oii-inal inhabitants ..f Koiniosa, who 
hunt for Chinese heaiis. Dr Ailiiani explains tliat luiul-snatthinH anionf; the 
Toradja on Celebes wasimce a human saciitice to the .|ia.| lest they shouM 
dia<c a member of the trib.- to the kinj,'iloni of the deail. Mut in brinyinc 
home the skull of a-n enemy one also brings loni; iile, health, an<I hea ",' of 
disease, to his own tribe. For the sanh- n ason in Borneo and Sumatra 
human skulls are burird under the posts of a. house' at its erect'on. On 
Mr-tawey a man must be slain at the buddinj; of a house. Anionj; the 
Hasutos the village is protected from spirits by buryiuf; a human head 
beneath the door-posts. AmoiiR many peoples also a fresh human head is 
|)Ut under the foundations of a bridge. 

' Cf. tlie ntTeriiii; of entrails auion<,' the aneients. 

■* Kinyi, •' Aniiii' 'ue, ' p. ,jt; r. 



ii 



44 THK LIVING FORPES (W THK GOSPKK 



blood, which jjives soul to tho dead wood. 8ouI-8tuff in 
awrihed to the placeiitiL Then- i« a nivsteriouH connection 
between it and the chiM, its "elder brother," all throujrli 
life. Its function, alter beini^ solemnly buried, is to warn 
men in certain circumstances of imi)endin<; evil. It is 
larpely used as a charm. The decayed piece of umbilical 
cord is carefully preserved. The hair also contains much 
soul power, and is therefore not cut by the heathen.' A 
mother rubs her sick chihl with her hair (hair ma<;ic, Nias). 
The Toradja nail hairy human scalps to the cocoanut 
trees, in order to make them fruitful by their soul power.- 
Hair is used as medicine. Hetrothed coui)les eschanj^c part 
of till ir hair in order to aihl power to each other's soul. 
All hair cut off is hidden or burietl l)y its owner to prevent 
itH (getting into the hands of an enemy, who might, by 
burning it, seriously imperil his life. For ''ere is a bodily 
connection between a nuin and the hair, as well as any 
other portions or secretions of his body that he has parted 
with. Much uncanny sorcery is based on this animistic 
notion. It is supposed that you can injure the whole man 
by getting into your power an animated part of his body. 

The nails also are regarded as a seat of soul-stuff. Ilair 
and nails are looked on as containing soul in surpas'^'ng 
measure, because they are constantly growing, a proof of 
their indestructible soul j)ower. And therefore they are 
careful to j»revent others from getti»ig {)ossession of the 
cuttings of their nails. No one will cut his nails after sunset, 
because then evil spiritw are swarming around, who might get 

' The Kattaks cut tlicir long Ijair wlioii tlioy reconie oalfchumtns. l{eiU>', 
the niis.sji)uary at Si (iaol, uii llie .-.oa ol Toba, tolls how a chief, who desired 
to he a christian, allowed a Hattak teacher to cut his hair. At the first cut 
of the scissors he exclaimed iu terror : •' Lord .Icsus, let me remain in health." 
Any one who ventures to cut his hair shows that he is earnest in his jmrpose 
to pive U|i heathenism. A Hattak heathen, convinced by the power of God, 
and desiring to become a ca didato for baptism, i)raycd the Chri.-^tian teacher 
to cut otr his long hair, for if another did so he would die. An old heathen 
in Uluan earnestly entreated that his "sanctuary," his long hair, might not 
be cut otl', which would be his death. 

'^ May not the scalp-hunting of the Indians bo traced i«iik to the same 
auimmlic rout. 






BATPAK IIKATUKNISM 45 

hold of the lUttinKH iitui therohy siiiin power over him. Saliva 
is mclicinal, because it contains soul power, aiul is fre.iueutlv 
sprea.l upon the sick. Those wl... offer saerilices spit upon 
the ..fferinij in order to a.hl to it a part of theu.selves. 
Expectorated saliva must not be alK.wed to fall into the 
hands of an enemv.» Soul-stuff is ais,. found in the teetli. 
[•,.|haps the wiilespread custom of lilini: the teeth meant 
orisiuallv an offerin-^' to ancestors, in which one i,tivc up j.art 
of ones'streiifrtl. to preserve the rest. The sweat als.., as a 
secretion of the ImuIv, contains s.H.l-stuff, an.l so tar as it 
communicates itself to the clothes, these bc.-..me saturated 
with soul-stuff. The water that bus washed -reat men is 
regarded as luckv, because it c.mtains their sweat. M)ot 
prints can be bewitched bv means of the sweat that adheres 
to them ■' Dew. as the sweat of the earth, promotes health. 
Finally, human s«ml-stuff is found in tears, in urine, ami in 
excrement. Iriiie, therefore, is used as medicine, and also, 
in Loba, as an antidote to dreams of evil purport. 

A sluuU)W is siipp*.sed to be some shadowy soul-stuff. 
The souls of the dead cast no sliad<.w, because they no longer 
participate in the soul-stuff. Hence the shadow is regarded 
as a projection nf the soul of the livin-,'. It is therefore for- 
bidden to walk on anyone's shadi.w or to beat it. I h.' shadow 
of mail must not fall on a ^'rave or a place where evil spirits 
,lweli otherwise the spirits will ^'et the owner into their 
power A man must not let his shadow lall on other 
peoples foo<l, else the eater will appropriate .vitli his food the 
man's soul power, and he will pine away.* 

. H..hnicl.,th.. missionary, writes from N-w (inin-. : "All tVa,'m..nts of 
foo.l tl,.. husks of betel nuts, an,l eij-.r ends, .re eitlur e,.t.rely ren.ove,! and 
.lesiioyea ur carefully hi.l.len tr„u> the st.^.i^-er in a ,.urse winch they 
always .any with the,,,, lest any one sl.ouhl .nake na,s ,,au ha.l >na«>e. 
Kun.e says that the l'a,,ua„s eareCully ,.rese,ve frH.n.euts „, tohaeeo, ,.a,.n,.s 
of thei,- linj;e, nails an.l hai,-, an.l oven cast-oil l,an,Uj:. s, hecauv, .n v.>tu. 
of the soul-stull a-ihciuK U> then,, they -uiy. in th,- hau,ls ol an enemy, 
become the means of (.raetisini; .ul ,ii;ii;n-. , , , ,, 

■^ Uattak christians assure ns that heathen magicans can hew.teh he 
footprints of an unknown thief. The thief would then heconu' a le,«.r or d,. 

» The Washan.ha in Kast Africa, like .nany uncivilised men. are atraul of 
the photographer. They think the missionary, in Ukin« their photograph. 



IP 



III 



4«J THK LIVIXC FORCES OF TTIK (JOSFTJ. 



A tuan's naipr is closely coiiiicctod with liiH kouI. It is 
tluTcforc lioly, and should not ito iiaiiicd cxcojyt when 
necessary. No one sliouM iifter his own name, or that of his 
parents. If «)ne knows the name of any one, lie thereby ohtains 
a certain power over him. Very inifiortant is tlic riijlit name, 
which must he adeipiate to the soul. 'I'he name of a sick 
person is sometimes chaii<,'ed, in the hope that the escaped 
soul inav return, attracted hv the hetter name. If anv one 
increases in riches or honour he adopts a new name, ccm- 
formable to his clian;^ed condition, on wliich occasion a ^rcat 
feast is held.' It is very important that children shoidd t;et 
the rij^ht name, and it is the duty of the ina'.iie priest to put 
them on the rij^ht scent. The names of lietrothed persons 
must also match. Sometimes lialefiil names are j^iven to 
children to make the envious spirits believe that the children 
are inferior. Names of daii;ierous animals, like tii,'ers and 
crocodiles, are not expressed, but are euphemistically para- 
phrased — Titjer, Prince of the forest. 

in dreams the soul leaves the man and wanders about, 
actually e.\perlcnciii<i the thiiii^s dreamed of. Hence <lreanis 
as realities are highly valued, and so arc the interpretation of 
dream.s. The soul of the sleeper in his dream is having 

rolls tlii'iii of their sliatlow . ,i?].l tlu-rcwitli o( ihcii soul, wliiih lif scnils 
to Kiirol"' to serve llif wliitf iimii, ami tin- owiu-r of tlie lost sliailow must 
ilic. In the pii'turis of tluii relatives wliieli the iiii.is|iiiiari:'s IluI laiui,' upiii 
their rooms the Waslianili:v saw the shmlows, /.'■. the souls ol these relatives. 
They thoilj,'ht the missiouaries hail hroiij^ht their relativts witli them, 
and that at iiij;ht the jiiitures tiecaine alive anil conversed with the 
white men. Ilenee they were afraid to lie alone in the missionary's 
room : the pictures nii,i;hl lieeome alive and {^et loose mi ihem. The 
Kwe imauin? the soul of man to !«• vi^ilile in his shadow. Thi' rapuans also 
see in the shallow the soul of the m.iii heecjminj,' visihle. 

' In e\ery important event ihc^ IJattaks feel the need of adip|itiii!; a 
new nanipwhieli will dojusliee to the new situation. If a ehild is born into a 
family which resemhles some deail niemlier of the family they s.iy the J.ead 
man has reap]>eared in the ehild, .md the naim' of the deid man is therefore 
i^iven to the child. If an infant cries much, that is a sign that it has not got 
the rifjht name. The Ewe have similar views ahout names. The tear of 
names, as of the soul in some sort hecome andihic', is found amont; all 
the peoples of Indonesia, even ainontr the I'ajiuans. 






HAriAK HKATllKNISM 



47 



intercourse with the dead. os|.e»iiillv with liis iiiuostorH.' 
Nothing is tiiidcrtrikcn exci'itt th«y drt'iiin of it lu-foiehaiul. 
The fliarai-ter of the exjuvtid tliild is aiuiomice.l U\ (Ir.aiiis 
to the parents, for the sonl of the ehild in its mother's wonih 
has intercourse witli the mother's soul. Mutual dreams must 
show wlu>tlier the souls of l.etrothed persons aijree. A dream 
prcce(h's the inspection of the intenih'd. The matchmaker 
protluces dreams respectin<; the chosen oiu" hy hidint; under 
the lover's pillow some of her liair. or a -rirdle. or soinethuii.' 
which has been in contmt with Iut. and so received 
Houiethiui,' of her souI-stufV.- The watchers of a cori>se must 
not sleep, else their souls wanderinii ahout in dreams may 
easily he enticed away hy the spirit of the .lead. whi<h 
is near at hand, if the soul is fri<,ditene<l in a dream it 
remains in the jilaee where it was startled, and the nnui 
becomes ill and dies. It is therefore strictly forbidden to 
waken a sleeper rou<j;hly, or to frighten him. One must not 
step over a sleeper, for the soul niij^'ht be on the point of 
returniu"^, and would then be scared away. 

The soul docs not hesitate to leave men if anythinj,' 
dis])lcases it. for it does not essentially belonj,' to them, 
and hiis no interest in the maintenance of its temporary 
dwelling:. Hence caution must be useil in chastisinjj 
chihlren. (Jive them rather their own way. lest the sensitive 
little Houls leave them and they die. The soul in the shape 
of an animal, a mouse, a lizard, et<-., escapes by the nojie. the 
ears, the month, or by any openin<x, often to the terror of un 
involuntary spectator. 

The destiny of human souls is lixed before birth Those 
destined for nu-n are, before their time on earth, collected by 
liatara (inru or Mula d.jadi in the u]iper world. There a -rreat 
tree urows with many leaves on which the ilitVerent destinies 

' riif NiassiM-, ,■111.1 .ill i..'o|.l, .. ul tli. iMliiM Ai,l,i|,.l. -,., li:ivr 111, -aiiii- 
ir.timis al.uut .Iriiiiis. U is v,, with tlir i'.i|.iiaii-; .ui.l Nvitli tli.' K.iieii-.. 
Til.- K\^^' also lirlic'V tii.U till' .soul \>:i:<-< mill m 'li'l' aii.i waiiM.!-' ;il ■■ul. 

.\ .li.-am is to tli.-iii an rxi"'V.'ii< I a pmI .••.,•1.1. Tl.. suiil 111 tin' .Ina... is 

liaviiii" iiiturciiiirsc uitli tin- >liailo«s ul tin- .UhI. 

■ Amoii^ tli« Niisseis lh>- luidr-M I'k.r ..nlv \. '1.1111.- !u ruiiic lonvai.l uitli 
his iiru|io.siil altiT » lavniiialil" .Ircam. 



m 



4H TIIF IJVIXn FORCES OF THK C.OSFRL 



of men are inHcribe<l. The wml jh tlii-n alldwcd to pluck off 
its lot detormininK leaf. The siilijeet is |ireHetihMl in ii I'ltt'creiit 
KMh in different lejiendK. hnt they iill n^ree in this, tliri* nmn 
hinmcif ehooses his own fate, and tliat this is iirevirsihly 
fixetl.' This fatalism <loniinatert the thonj;!;' .if the Hattakn, 
fetters their will, and kills all enertry. They iiow with ealni 
reHi^niittion to the Mows of fate, which are fore-ordained anil 
unalterable, whieh even throw their shad'iws on the life after 
death, for that is oidy a eontimiaticm of the lot ehosen 
for earth. Man is not respoiisihle for his disposition or his 
aetiims, for these are determined for him. A change of mintt 
can only take plaee if that has been fn -seen in his destine«l 
lot This determinism, however much it nfjrees with 
.Mohammedan fatalism, is not an imported artii 'c, but an 
original possessiim of heathenism. It is found amont; 
heathen peoples who have never had any sympathy with 
Islam. The probability is that Islam has taken over fatalism 
and many other ideas from heathenism. No doubt the 
pro* i<;anda of Islam fintls in this kiinlred eonvietion of the 
Animist an advanta<je that is not to l)e undervalued. The 
Hattuk calls his destiny *' that whieh his s<ml has asked for." 
On it depends man's well-bein<j. The (|uestion is whether 
the soul will accept the fjood that comes to it. If any one 
loses a lucky chance he says, '• my soul has not accepted it." 
If things go well with him he has to thank his soul for 
it. The wishes of a person by no means always agree with 
thof'j of his soul, but where they diller it is the wish of the 
soul that is realised, for against it man is powerless. The 
soul is a power outside and above man, though not identical 
with fate, against which his attitude is mostly submissive 
though sometimes defiant. 

Whilst the soul is rei)resented as life stuH" that stufl' is also 
ascribed to animals and plants. Soul stuff is certainly not 
so aoiiu'lnnt in animals as in man. Aninuits ,uid ])lants are 
u lover grade of animated life. Many animals iire sjipposed 

I .Sei' J. Wanieik, A..M./.., 1901, y. 1, !., for some ot the l<•J,'(•nll^^ thut ileal 
with this puiiit. There are .-iimiiar legeuds among the pt^oph; of Nias. More 
will be aaid ou thl^ subject !at»r. 



HAITAK IlKATIIKNISM 



10 



I' 



t«» Imvo <ltw.iMU'.l from inaii, tlic a|H's for ixamplc. ami 
iM.iivcrsoly iiiiMi Iroiii animals. Wonu-n hriiijr fi)rtli animals. 
f*iKli as lizards an<l srr|iiiits. Mi-n somotimos <:»•» tlic form 
<.f an animal wliosr lli'sli tin v iiavc ratcn. Amrst.us some 
tinu's appear in tin- shape of animals. Aeeordiiii: to animistic 
notions men ami animals are not far apart. Ileiiee the 
n-.imber of fal>les eiirrent amoni,' the Hattaks in which animals 
a[>pear speakinj,', tliinkin-,', moralisinir, and associatiiii; with 
men u« their equals. 

Those phiiits also wliiih are most useful to men contain 
Houl stuff. The tlraeaiia is used everywhere in the Indian 
Arehipela-jo f<»r purposes, of worship Lecause it is sup|M.se«l 
to 1k> stronjjly animated. A personal soul is aseril»ed t.. rice. 
It Ih treated with induljrenee as a livin-,' bein-,'. and .letinite 
rites and pnthihitions are anxiously oiiserved in plantin<;, 
wcedinfT, reapint;, treadin^j; out, hcatinj,', cookiiii,' an.l eatinj,' 
it, that its soul may not escape, and it becomes powerless ami 
unfit for sustenance. The c(»coa imt tree and the su«;ar palm 
contain soul stuff. The latter is said to have ^;rown from 
the lM)dy of a woman, and its i>alm wine is her mother's milk, 
or, according,' to another account, her tears. In searchins? for 
camphor they use a secret speech to deceive tlie soul ..fthc 
camphor tree. The s(.uls of such useful plant- are w«)rshipped.» 
Objects also which are of value to men are thou<;ht to be 
aiiimuted, for their usefulness leads to the inference that they 
possess soul stuff. Soul is awarded to the house, the hearth, 
the Imat, the hatchet, the iron, and many other instruments, 
not Iwcausc they are fetiches, but because their usefulness is 
proof of their soul power. Amonj,' tlii> Mentawey islandei-s 
every object has its soul (Ue^'at). When a tumble-down 
house fell in, the blame was not supposed to be the la/.iness 
of the owner nes,dectin<j; to rei»air it, but the soul of the house 
had Hid and nmst be solemidy brou<jht back.- 

1 When a Kainlia disirpa U< t;<t woikI Iroiii a u vi U<v niciiiiiii.- lie prays thii;. 

to the soul of ti.o tr.M' : O tne, 1 ooino to thee to a.vk .i sitt. I have a sick 

Iriend mmX know not wluit has made him si. k. I eome Inth.r to ihee. tree, 

that 1 nmy ^et soiiielhing with which to treat him that he may be inale.l. 

Auem^ the Kwe, the weaver prays to his loom, l4ie hiiMl-nuin lo his -un, 






50 THE LIVING FORCFE OF THE (JOSPEL 




The souls of men, animals, plants, and even those of life- 
less thinj^s influence one iinothcr. One can augment or 
invigorate one's own soul stufi" through that of others, and 
can also partly or entirely lose it to another soul owner. 

The life of the body is entirely dependent on the greater 
or less amoimt of its soul stuH'. The important thing in 
eating and drinking is not so mia-h the matter of the food as 
its soul stuff, for this alone gives health and strcngth to the 
eater. No animistic heathen, therefore, expects the gods, or 
spirits, to consume the material of the food which he places 
before them as an offering, but only its soul stuff. The 
matter that remains is (le])rived of its i)ovver of nourishment, 
and consccjuently is of no value to men. The flesh of an 
animal that is eaten produces an effect on man corre8i)onding 
to the (jualities of the animal in question. A dog is lively 
and courageous, and therefore the eating of dogs' flesh must 
produce liveliness and courage. The Hesh of a stiig gives 
nimbleness. (jiamecocks are made to devour centipeds in 
order to assimilate their fierceness. Javanese thieves carry 
with them crow bones to be as clever at stealing as crows. 
The uJimerous prohibitions as to food in sickness are rooted 
in this idea. C'ertain foods in some circumstances drive the 
soul out of the body, ami these nmst be avoided When 
heathen people come to the missionary for medicine they 
never fail to Jisk what foo«l the f^ick man is forbidden to take. 
For the missionary, who is regarded as a magician, must 
know the kiml of food to which the soul has an aversion at 
the tim'\ The food that a pregnant woman desires, however 
absurd it be, must l)e given hei', for the soul of the child 
requires it for its growth. If anyone has been bitten by a 
poisonous animal, the animal is killed and its flesh eaten by 
him who was bitten in order to make the bite harmless, f(»r 
the soulof tlie pi>isonous animal, which is thereby appropriated, 
is immune against its ow n poison. Convei-sely, the soul stuff 
contained in human hair has the jjower of promoting the 
growth of trees and of useful plants. 



till' siuilli to liis liaiiimrr anil anvil, tin; juiiier tn liis saw ami |ilam'. 
Karens ascrilic a soul to most things, to rice for cxaniiilu. 



TIic 



BATTAK IIEATMKNISM 



51 



This notion throws light on tlic onigniiitic fustonj of 
cannibiilisni, which we meet with in India, among the 
Battaks, Dajaks, Alfnrus, rapuaiis an«l on the Bismarck 
Archipelago. It is not, at least originally, an act of foaming 
revenge and <l»tes not even spring from a jterversion «>f taste. 
On the contrary, it is suppose«l that in eating a man's flesh 
the eater appropriates the other's sonl, liis vital power, and 
this is most effectively done while the victim is alive, for if 
the body be cold the soul has fled.' The liver, the palms of 
the hantls, the sinews and the flesh of the head are eaten by 
preference, for these arc the parts of the body in which the 
soul stuff is supposed to be specially concentrated. It is 
iissumed that an enemy wounde<i in battle or a great criminal, 
such as an adulterer — these are devoured — must be a man of 
power and daring, whose soul stuff" is therefore of value to 
warriors, lie who eats the imlms of the hand obtains 
strength of hand, etc. The habit of drinking blood is wide- 
spread, and should be judged in precisely the same way as 
cannibalism,- for the soul stufl" has special vigour in the 
blood. Among many peoples the blood of an enemy just 
slain is drunk. 

There are also objects which, in themselves, have no soul 
nnitter, but, for some reason, have such matter ascribed to 
them. Some peculiarly formed ro(»t, or some wonderful 
stone, is seen, and its striking shape is supposed to indicate 
an indwelling soul power. That makes the object of great 
value to the Animist, for he can use it for his own good, 
viz., f(tr the strengthening of his own soul power. Such 
objects may be called fetiches. Idols ;us fetiches are uii- 
known to the Indonesian. Wherever we come upon stcne 
or wooden images, protective or ancestor imag«!s, they have 
religious value only so far as they are artilicially supplieil 

> N(i our iiinim^; tlio IJalt.iks cii.iciyH tlic catiiiji i>( liuinaii Misli. On tli. 
cmitrary, the CMiiiiil",il> have uruii to lij,')it with iiauswi, and tlicy aii' in the 
hahit ol inixiiiR the hmuan witli uthir IIchIi. 

' In Tolia Wf wire tnld that a cliicf rut opon tlic hieasi «( a ciiitmiMl rni'iny, 
tmv cut thf iiiiivL'rinj; hrail and drank thi' warm lilnod - not iifiUiidy for its 
pleasant taste, tlioiit;h the satisfaeti<ju ol revenge may have had a phice 
there. 



«l 



t! 



\ 



I 



it 



52 THE LIVING FORCKS OF THK (JOSPEL 

with soul stuff. But an object thus supplied with soul is 
not worshipped, for it is not the abode of a deity or an 
ancestor. It is, however, attended to, fed and smeared with 
blood or rice, that the soul stuff dwellinjj in it may not be 
diminished, but ujay always retain its utility to its possessor. 
Thunderbolts, marvellous pieces of metal, stalactites, and 
such like thing'*! are reputed to have special soul stull, and 
are used as fetiches. In this sense amulets are fetiches. 
They are mostly stones, scraps of lead, and thin<rs of extra- 
ordinary formation ; these are carried about, and credited 
with the power of increasiu'j; their possessor's soul stuff, and 
protecting him .igainst evil spirits.' 

The souls of men have a mutual relation to each other. 
The influence which one person exerts on another must be 
traced to their mysterious soul powers. The soul of the 
mother must watch over that (tf the child that is in her 
womb. If an abortion takes place the soul of the mother 
has failed in its duty, and the soul of the child has Hown 
away while it was iivttentive. The woman was perhaps 
much depressed, .•»".' ' her grief, her soul neglected to 
watch over the s le child. The conse(|uence is, an 

untimely birth, th; ne soul of the tuiguarded child has 

escaped. If a w« i,.. dies in giving birth to a child, it 
is a sign that the soul of the mother refuses to accept a 
child. This, therefore, is a death that is regarded as ex- 
tremely disgraceful. The corpse of the woman is thrown 
beneath the house and there buried, after its eyes, ears and 
mouth have been stuffed with ashes. If any misfortune 
ha])pens to the child the blame is again laid on the soul of 
the mother. If a child becomes ill, an offering is brought 
to the soul of the mother that it may not abandon the soul 
of the child. The souls also of relatives, on the mothers 
side, have great influence on the soul of the child, and n>u.st 






' The liattaks call cvi'iytliin;; that iniprcsscs thpiii liy its stiangenrss, 
prcatiipss, or inysli'fioiis |)ii\vi'r " Kiamiratlifr," a l>iiniinir ;,'lass, fi)r exampli', 
whose powers they ilo not uiiiteistaiiil, a watch, ami the like, Ha|i]iy is the 
possessor of siirh a wonderful olijeot I'ur llie .soul power it nveaLs may he of 
the greatest service to hiiu. 



la 



BATTAK IIKATHENISM 



a.'l 



be conciliated with ottcrinfp* and presents. The souls of 
parents all through life exercise an influen''e on those of 
their children, aiul rice rmvt. In con<j;ratulations there is a 
standin";; phnise seriously meant, '' Mny our souls rule one 
another, " that is, act as <?uardian spirits to t)no another. ( >n 
a higher stage the i)rayer is. " May thy soul rule ine," that is. 
influence nie favourahly. 

In the selection oi' a hride it is exceedingly important that 
the sold of the wooer match with that of his elect, a harmony 
of souls which has nothing in common with what we under- 
stand Ity the phrase, it does not mean love, but that the 
soul matter of the two parties match.' Matter must unite 
with nuitter, as in a chemical union. The surest sign of a 
harmonious marriage is oHspring. If married people have 
no children, they should, nay, must separate, or the man 
must take a second wife, whose sold matches better with his. 
The magic i>riest can know beforehand whether the souls of 
bride and bridegroom match with one another. It is also 
revealcil by dreams ami omens.'- 

The soul of a ihief exercises a dreaded influence on his 
subjects, f(.r it can give them happiness or unhappiness. 
His power proves that he has much ainl stnmg soul stuff", and 
therefore can l)c liangerous. In a law court it is not so much 
the judicial autliority as the soul of the judge, that is feared. 
The Battak priest King Singamang aradja, has most soul, 
and is therefore superstitioiisly feared. His commands 
regarding worship arc absolutely obeyetl. In war it is a man's 
own soul or that of his kindred that protects him from wounds 
or death or drives him on to death, if a bullet flies close 
past a warrior he says, " My soul has turned the bullet out 
of its course. ' The soul powers of an enemy are more to be 
feared than his weapt-.is, fur through his magic arts he can 
draw the soul to his side and so anniliilate its owner. When 
one of two pcuple, who arc ill at the same time, dies, and the 

' Till Kwe tiius exiHcss it. Thi' man iiiii^l Uki- tluit wuiiiaii who was 
alreail> uiiiteil with him in the pie existiiit stulf, nr the iiiaiiia>;e will be 
iiiihajiipy. 

■-■ tV. !'■ 17- 



ft- 

.!4 



54 THE LIVIN(; FORCES OF TFIE GOSPEL 

other recoverH, the soul of the latter is supposed to have over- 
come the soul of the former. The piipil of a ma<^iciaii has no 
need to fear the rod, but does need to fear the soul of his teacher. 

The liuniun soul can !>e decoyed away by other souls, and 
the souls of children are specially sensitive and difficult to 
])reserve. No one must visit 'he parents of a recently born 
child without brini^inn; a present for the child's soul. 
Magicians can entice away souls and draw the soul of a thief 
to them. They can also incline the soul of a virgin to that 
of a youth. Many can win the soul of a woman by love 
potions, or by {tiaying on the flute. The spirits of the dead 
are more caj)able than the living of drawing souls to them- 
selves. 

Friendships and covenants are ratified by a nmtual 
drinking of blood, or by the parties mixing some drops of their 
own blood in order that their souls may be blended. The 
same thing is done in treaties of peace. The same considera- 
tion makes one like to be spat upon by people who are 
accounted fortunate. I'oor people appropriate the chewed 
betel leaves of great chiefs and gulp them down in order to 
bring something of their glory to their own souls. People 
who are clever at speaking are entreated to spit into one's 
mouth. Sick i>eople are breathed upon by the healthy in 
order to bring them healthy soul stuff (breath magic). For 
the breath also contains soul. F'arents, on Nias, catch with 
their mouth the last breath of their dying child. Women in 
child-bed are breathed upon in order to help the birth. But 
anyone who cnnnes in contact with a sick person may have 
the sickness transferred to himself, if his soul accep - it, in 
which ease the sick person recovers. 

When we remember that that the Animist regards the soul 
as a separate entity in man, imJependent of him, capricious 
and often in conflict with him, and at all times a danger to 
him, we can easily understami, that though it is nuitter, 
it is an object of worship. In point t>f fact more careful 
worship is offered to the soul than to the heavenly gods, 
Man has to reverence his own soul as well as the souls of 




BATTAK HKATllKXISM 



other living m^n, espocinlly those of his own and his wife'w 
rehitioiis. In a (liHit-nlt case of labour the soul of the chihl 
is prayed to t-oine and a sacritiee is offered to it. Sacriliee is 
offered to the soul of the mother, that it may l»e \villin<^ to 
wateh over the ehild. Sacrifices are also freipiently offered 
to the souls of relatives that they may hriiij; their iiitluence to 
l)ear upon the ehild's soul. A man has eonstantly to wateh 
over his soul for, e.xposetl to a thousand intlnenees, it is 
always tempted to leave him. The semis of the livin<j like 
nauj^hty ehildren are fond of havin<: t«) do with eoHins, 
follow them when they are carried out, place themselves upon 
them and si'ttle down at the s,'rave. If cries and <rifts should 
not succeeil in enticiui,' then> away, the man to whom they 
belon«,' will die. Many cases of disease are explained by 
saying that the soul of the man because of some sudden 
fright or attraction of a spirit has left him, and needs to be 
brought back. 

A solemn procession is made to the place to which the 
priest conjectures the soul has been carrietl. In front 
marches a virgin carrying tm her head a tray with cookwl 
rice and eggs, as an offering to the spirits who have 
captured the soul. Then follows the priest, and behind him 
the nearest relations of the sick man. These must not look 
behind neither to the right nor the left, nor speak a word, 
while ail who meet the procession must get out of its way. 
After the sacrifice has been laid on a little altar in the open 
field the priest entreats and conjures the soul of the sick 
man to return. He promises gifts and presents, smites with 
a stick in all directions so as to scare away the hurtful 
spirits, till he is supposed to have enticed the soul back. The 
return journey is very carefully performed, for the recovered 
soul has now to be led. The relatives go in front, the 
magician behind them constantly entreating the soul to come 
with them. Meanwhile the sick mans house has been 
cleansed and the floor covered with mats. No one is per- 
uiitted to remain near the steps of the Iiouhc at the time wlien 
the expedition is ext)ect<;d to return, that the soul may find 
the way clear. WIkm the magician leaves the house he calls 



56 THK LIV1N(J FOUCKS OF TUK (^OSPKL 

out from below, "() soul of K. U.. art thou now at home?" 
Some one ^nm within iinswcrs, "yes," and so the soul's 
return is hiii)pily aci()nii)lishe(l. Inside the house it is again 
entreated an«l exhorted in friendly terms and with promises 
of bcautifid jiarments and savoury meats to leave the body 

no more.^ 

Fre(|»ently there is a formal hunt for the escajjed soul, 
when it is eaptured and carried in handkerchiefs to the sick 
man. Sometimes it is enticed with rice and with other 
foods. This custom «)f soul capture is founil everywhere in 
the Indian Archipela«,'o.- There is another means still t«> 
help the sick jterson to rej^ain his scml. A hunum ettijjty 
scantily clothed is manuiactured from a banana tree. Hair, 
nail cuttin','s, dirt scraped from the scalp of tiie sick man, or 
such like, arc put in the navel of this ti-,Mire to transfer some- 
thiui,' of his s(ml stuff to the inianc. That makes it the sick 
man"s substitute. This inuige is carried out like a corpse to 
the spot where the spirit that holds the soul is supposed to 
be. It is there laid down, and the soul of the sick man is 
Kununoned. If some one anywhere answers tiie cry it is 
supposed that tiiis is the answer of the soul, antl that the 
spirit has accepted the substitute. The nmipany return to 
the village joyfully, antl the magician says to the sick person, 
" Be of good courage : protect us, we protect thee ; take 
care of your fixther, your mother, an«l your property. ' A 
similar practice is where the cHigy of a man, made of clay, 
is placed on a trestle, given betel, hen eggs, cooked rice, and 
carried out to the lield. There the magician cries with a 
loud voice, '-Take what beh»ngs to you." The sickness is 
then translcrred to anyone who may chance to be heard 
sficaking at a distance. The idea in these ceremonies is 
that a substitute has been given. In the tir.st case the 
animated etligy is an etiuivaleiit for the soul of the sick man. 



' Among tlie Ewi', also, :i mans siikucss is prodiu'td liy liis s.ml h- iviiig 
him. Till' I'liist can lniiitJ it Imi k. Spiftli, /.c, \<- :'.ll. 

- It is surprising' t" tiuil tliis animistic custiim in Cliina also, win re llie 
cscapcil soul nf a si,k cliild is 
lianilkcnliiils. 



eii lifok liv dies ainl wavinj; of 



lUITAK UKATUKXISM 



and is oflertMl lus such to the hostile- spirit. In tho s.'con.l 
ease tho soul of tlic niifoniMiiiti' ihmmhi who ariiiiontally 
makes a sountl must take over the diseiise. The son! t»f the 
IHjrson who is ill is rele.iseil hy oHeriiKj; to the evil spirit a 
substitute. Hence the Hattaks call these ti-ures " IxmIv- 
substitute, soul-ransom. ' ' 

The soul is also directly a«ldressi-d in i)rayer. Such a 
prayer runs: "Here, <) my soul, th.m hast betel. I ccnfess 
that I have failed in duty towards tl.ee." Then follow-^ :in 
enumeration of the faults, which for the most part c.msist 
in haviiii,' 1,'iven it no present for a loin; time past. " I l>ow 
in reverence before thee, and from this .lay will better my 
ways; and I f,'ive thee this betel as earnest moiu-y. If 1 :iin 
well I shall brinj; thee anythini,' I have that tlnm desirest, 
savoury meats, jrarments, and jewels. Have compassi.m on 
me." In sudden alarms the first thini,' is to trauipiillise <nu''s 
soul, to soothe an<l console it, an<l promise it a present. 
Parents (h. the same thin<j; with the soul of their child. 
They dedicate to it a tine woven ..'arment, "the soul ijar- 
ment, ' a knife, or suih like, which is henceforth cherished ah 
a talisnum. ()tterin<j;s are also made to one's soul, a very 
solemn process in which the offerer wears his best cl<»thes. 
Itice is heaped on a tray, with flesh or fish above it. ami this 
is lunuled over to the soul with a present, perhaps a j,'arment. 
a sword, a spear, or an ivory arm riie.;. in specially critical 
cases thev dedicate to it a house, a piece of a field, a 
dollar, a 'horse, or a hen, with which the fortune of the 
possessor is henc-forth united. These thinirs may be used, 
but must not be s..ld. 'J'he soul, which in the mind of 
the Animist has a sep, te cxisteiu-e. makes real use of 
these devoted objects. If an\onc has an uneasy <lreani. 
he must at tnce brin;.; an otferin^' to his si.ul, h-st it run 

awav. 

Nevertheless, when things «o a«,'ainst a nnm he oiteii curses 



r i 



his soul, calls it the sou 



1 of a do}^, for upon it he lays tin 



One 111)1 familiiir willi aiiimisti 



.,lfs .if tlioii-ht iiii,;:lit lliiiik tliev w.-rr 



prfsniimif; mi 



llif stupi.lity iilllii- -"piiits in foistint; un tliiMi 



iia^t' iiisli'.nl 



of a liviiij; uiun. 



lr,!l ll i.s 



Iv an .iiiiiiiaUMi 1111.1^1 that tlic s|,irit- :irci|>l. 



-t^i 



58 THE LIVIN(5 FORCES OF THE (iOSPEL 

blame of his misfortune. This, however, only happens in 
extreme wrath, when the man has lost control of himself. 

Moral feeling has no more eoimeetion with the soul than 
it has with belief in the jjods. The soul is not the In-tter 
self in man, nor the spiritual side of hin>. The soul neither 
punishes nor leaves him on account of his evil (h.in','s. It 
pronounces no juilfjment about !,'oo.l or evil. It is supp«.sed, 
no doubt, that the soul - of a chief, for instance— may exhort 
another, and ntake him sensible of his wronj;, vi/.., his failure 
to comply with the <jeneral custon), but it does not pu '.sh 
its owner. The soul is not an or«jan of morality. If jiarents 
it\ answer chastise their naujihty child, the soul of the chihl 
becomes seriously ill, anti the parents, fearinj; that it may 
run away and miike the child ill, hasten to beg its pardon, 
and present the child with a pandjoraan, that is, a gift, as an 
expression of regret for their wrongdoing, and a promise of 
improvement for the future. It is said that man has seven 
8oul8,» one of which is buried with the after-birth of the 
child, and influences the man throughout his life. It comes 
to him occasionally to warn him. We might, therefore, infer 
that it performs the work of conscience. But its warnings 
do not extend to the moral region. It warns man against 
what n>ay do him harm ; it inspires him with ccmrage in war. 
More than that it cannot do.'- 

When a man dies his soul power leaves him in order to 
animate other things, men, beasts, or jtiants. It always 

' These seven souls, regarding wliieh tliiir tlioiights are not unite elear, 
may, in all probal.ility. represent funetions and motions of tlie soul. The 
function of one of tliem is to watch over nun. another watches over his 
propel ty anil descendants, a third produces valour, a fourth is the avowed 
opi.onent of the bmly, striving to dr;.g it to destruction. The seven are not 
kei.t distinct in thought and soul-worship. The Karens also ascribe seven 
souls to man which signify ditlerent powers, mostly of an evil kind, which 
iunueiice him. (Kppler, '■ I e Kaienen," p. 03.) 

•^ Kruyt maintains thai the soul of nu.,!, which is buried with the placenta, 
rei.resenls his conscience. This soul, which has bemme personal, meets him 
in the other world as judge and judges him by the .stamlard of the national 
customs. The judicial '■ .onscien.e " questions the dead man about three 
things— was he brave, was he generous, ,.>: had he property, <lid he beget 
children. In any case this conscience gives no judgment about good and 
eTil. It judges according to the values that prevailed in the earthly life. 



HATTAK HKATHKNISM 



60 



remaiiiH a power on this eiirtl. that can never he exhanstea. 
The soul that continues to Hve, whieh n.ust he elearly d.s- 
tinsuishea from the eorp..reul soul, is caliea bepi- spim. 
gh<.st. At first it feels verv uiuou.f..rtul.h« with..ut a IkhI> 
it Hcarchcs for its ohl hoa.v ana surrounain-s : it s.ts on its 
grave ana terriHes the iivin-,'. It likes als,. to settle .lown on 
certain fowls, such us the hawk. Shonhl the .ry of sneh a 
bird he heanl the survivors exelain.. " He no,, an-ry ;v.th us, 
we have iM.t driven thee away, thou hast voluntarily left us. 
For a lonii time it is ii..t mile to be near the house of the tleaa 
at i.iL'ht, beouise the aeaa man is moving about there, from 
the moment of his ae,.art«re the spirit of the aeaa is fearetl. 
,« out of ill-will, he wouia like to arag others with lun int.. 
aeath. A great number of things are to be observea m eon- 
nection with the corpse, with its burial, am alterwirds. All 
their mourning customs are nu.tea in their fear of the dead.- 
Duriug the Hrst aay perfect silence is enj...nea lest they 
attract the attention of the envious soul lie hea.l is 
covered with u veil; all ..rnaments are lanl asi.le , -s litt t 
a« possible is eaten, ami that only at night as he spintn 
do that thev may seem to be like spirits themselves. Vov 
the same reason they paint themselves black, the spints being 
supposed to be black. ' The hair is cnt oH" for an offering to 
the dead, ,,a,:^ pro tnlo.^ It is fear that leads them to place 
food on the dead mans grave, to bring him his t..ols ami c..in. 
that his shallow may use them iu the other worhl and be 
content.^ The inhabitants of many islands sacnhcesome one, 
preferablv a slave, at the grave in oraer that they themselves 
may be sparea." The impelling motive is always fear, not 

.A.m,..=^th.Kw.-lh. survivors assun.tl.- .l.'.-l .-.„ tl, a tluy ur. uot to 

blaiiu' for his lU-alli- 

■•^This is thi- .'US.- even ainont! tl.c lUsut^s in Alruu. 

'Tliis IkiMs "MOil of the Taiiiiaiis also. 

. T : :1^ ,.r-vaiU in Ma,la,.s..ar. At th- -l-ath .f K.u. Ka a.na a 
1... subjects l.a,l to sl.avc their heads. Kv.ry .rnau.ent «.« lo.b,,!,!. n. all 

aestr! Urhe.o„,...,s oVthe .lea-l. Here an,, .here the widow .s strau,.ea 
that she may acco.u,-any her hu.shan.l to the other worl- . 

«The bloJdy human >aeriliee has been reeently ieplaeed an.oug the ToiaJj., 



i 



,1 



60 TIIK LIVINCi FOHCKS OF THK (JOSPEL 

pricf nor piety. To prevent tlie soul of tlie «loa«l from 
returnint,' to the livinj,', tliorns are laid upon tlie eorpse, winch 
is firmly hound, its tliumhs and toes tie<l to};etlier. aslies put 
in its eyes, an e'^^ plaeci in its ariui)its, all with the view of 
niakiiij,' it ineapahle of niovemeiit.* Separation from the 
dead is this syndwilieally indieated. A pieee of rotanj: is 
divided, one liall of whiiji is kept by the living an<l the »)ther 
placed in the eotlin, which sii^nifus that all intercourse is now 

at an end. The funeral coni|)any lepartinj: stej. over the 

collin (.r creep under it.- As soon as the cottin is brought 
into the house the l>...iy is placed in it, and the lid fastened 
down, else the soul of some livin«,' person nii^dit slip into it. 
Meanwhile every one who can turns himsi'lf round lest his 
soul mijrht be tempted to follow the dead. For the same 
reason no one cares to be near the •j;ravc. They spit l)ehind 
the coffin and l>at,l,e alter the fuiu-ral. They bury the dead 
where he cannot see his vilhiire. ' Ordy wi<lowers arc allowed 
to bury a widower ; only parents who have lost chihlren can 
carry the coffin of a chihl. The coflin is not carried «>ut by 
the door in the usual way, for the sctul must be deceived.* 
Coffin and j^ravc are nuule as narrow as possible to i ! <vent 
the soul froiu takini,' others with it. If a man is not miried 
at home his soul has no rest, ami therefore the corpse t»f him 
who has died amony straiijiers must, if at all pcssible. be 

lor exaiii|il.-, l>y iiuikiu"; a slave t.iiuily dwell a loiij; liiii'' ^t tlie grave, and 
(iuriiif; that (>i li.Hl treatint^ tli.iii as s,iul> of tluMtcad. (Kviivt, " Anil .isiiie," 

1>. '2X:) II. ) 

' The Basiit.is cut the . i.iiws of the dea.l and hind them with thongs. They 
have also Imnian .sacritiees. Those killed are to serve as i^iUous for the dead 
in the otlier world. Among many peoidts the haekhone of the dead is 

broken. 

-Tlie hush negroes of Siiriiiaine nie.iMire oil their In ight with a lAyp and 
put it in the eollin or the grave, else tliey do not feel sale from the spirit of 

the dead. 

■ In the funeral lites ol the Kwe the h.loiigings of the tluad are torn up and 
scattered on the! Mh to turn haek his soul if it should seek to visit the 
living (.Spieth, ; . »i:U). Things whieh the dead vseiv fond of must he 
laid Tn his grave, otherwise his spirit will demand them. If his helongings 
are given him he will go ipiietly to the underw(.rhl. 

Mn Nias a new path is made through the thicket hy which the corpse 
j^ ^..j, ,..;,., j iorlh. Tie-' s.jiil noist imt liud its way I'tick to the villai.;i-. 



BATfAK IlKATIIKNISM 



*'.l 



brousLt l.cne. The l.ca.l at least must hv \mru.\ at »»...... 

T1.0 s..ul rrnmii.s in ui.i<.n witli tl..- UhU till tlu- llesl. has 
n.ttcl • an.l ..nlv alior a -real IVast l.an Loon arran^nl .loos 
it pass into tl.e"ki..jiao.n of tlu- -lea.l. Tlu> way tlutl.or .s 
full of adventure aiul .laii-er : there ti.e s,.ul is reee.vnl h.v i, 
Tuaraian of the .lea.l. It must at the last eross a sea or nve.. 
That is whv a.nont: many prin.itive peoples the cthn .s .ua.le 
in the form' ol a hoat ..r a oauoe. An.l it is only after the 
great feast has heen hel.l, l»ef..re whieh the crpse ,s suppose, 
to he oulv provisi.mally hurie.l. alter the spirit has passe, 
into the 'kinji.l..n, of th.. .lea.l, that they led safe, ami 

mourniiiii; eeases. i ti 

The kin-.h,n. of the .lea.l is supp..se.l t.. he under he 
earth ..r in .lisnud places. Tlu- life then- is a retle.tu.n ..f the 
earthly life. He who dies a ehief is there a .h.el ; slaves 
remain slaves, an.l the ma-ieian continues f. carry ..n h.s 
tra.le. The .lea.l .l.> business like n.en. they arrange c.mned 
meetiuL- plav at cards an.l .lice, wa-e war an.l celebrate 
;;;:;S; thJv have wives and children. Uclds and cattl.. 

Thev .Iwell with .me another in fan.ilies.- I he m..re .lescen- 
dauis anv.me has on earth the in^tter .Iocs he are m the 
kin.rdom of the .lea.l. If ..ne has .lied a po..r n.an h.s nnport- 

an!; there n.ay be incn.se.l if hi< ^^^^^^^^^'^^^'^ ^^'^ ^^T,,:: 
wealth and h.m.mr. fhe p.-.tion ..t the dead .s, th re^c 
,K.pcn.lent ..n the f..rtnnc an.l cu.luc, ..f hcur '1^-' -t- 
When men are eelelmu.n.a festival ,reat locks of spmts are 
present as unseen envious spectators. 1 he --s ,.c^-.us 
an.l sut^Vrin,s of the livin,' .Us.puet als.. th.> mhab.tan.. 
the kin..lon. of the .l.>a.l. Ihe life an.l p,.rsu,ts o spn-.ts .o 

jrs,i::S':;^:;;:;;,:p= 

or all .Ua.l A..a.,. nn.sl U- l.-inol nM.i a tnc in II.. 
of 111.' Malay l!i(i"iic>iaii. 



5 :» 



^i 



'IW^i'.^'il^M^- 



62 THK MVIN<: FOfJCKs oK TMK <:<•>. Kl. 
thev Miw tluTf. Thrrc u al»o It-. lui wliiili Imvc 



iff. V' 'P'f 
ko )M.'rl't>( 1 ' 



iTTlC 
[^ llj) 

^■(• 



plav 

til. 



it rtc an- 
!.lr there 

■prusy ami 
- Suii'itle 
lie xoiil no 
iiw:!its tlie 



kind ofprrM ntiiiuiit oi' retrii"ifi«ii 'n tl'^' 

in this lit.' would not l>f adviM-l IIhti >• ' 

men win. went ahont with plans of ■n\ 'I.m 

ofinunlcr; ;,'iiniblei> evermore mM' ♦' ' 

iionxxpt^ jiet a \ou\i tonpiie. iind 'TV on* 

eje« of <!'<■ thief Uie ..ly -ts L Ua.l k> 

only iHolatod le<»eiid> nud m tin i-'diel .-t m' 

is no livin;,' i 'a of n trilMi ii after .ifnui.' 
Men who die «'f .shaniiiul di-'-iM -»eli a^ 

cholera, beeonu- sIuvch in tlf kii.t.- fn of the if 

is rei^arded as ino>. -haineJti! U>r wves ' 

hm".r 'lesires to |.n>erve the iidv, and - 

-..iri.le HI the kin-ion. of the d. ad. Sh:. .eftil in tin -heht 

.le^'ree it is to di. m eliild-bcl, to die . >, or i meet 

anvHrnhl. , vi., nt d. „.h. .' -ry h.n.ii, poMtio. s the 
certain lot such in w ntuer world' 

The Biu ,ksdi Mu-misoi dead ,to three clashes : 
(Diiejju ulH.d *ad- one. . scmie of these are {jood- 

nature.! .i in cert '. . ireti. -tn.Hn- well disposed towards 
their des. . i.diints, s.M..e • them are I ' T .ey are all more 
or less to .feared. 2 >meoft' s ,m. - ourseoft.me, 
if they hav manv .les. , da-ts who >. m due honour, 

beeoim- hi' r s.=rits. iranin- a distini: .-iHd positu.n in the 
kingdom oi the .1. a These are called Summa-ot. CO 
lli.dicr than these an e Sonibaon, the im.st eminent oi the 



ancest(>i> t< unii 



eat comniunities; these must have at 






'It . 

= N..t 

f the II ■■' 
.ri.l U 
Th.. Kv 

j.m»-i will' 
A I'j ;lic Ni 

■Mv't to 
1', ]uit 



! ., till' NiassiTs ^Siuli luiuiiii, "Ni.is," ', . J- fl- 
ier iiiiiiressioii uu the kpers win- are under llir I'.irc 
,v.t'liristi;mH, th.iii tlie Jissiir.inoi- that in the oIImT 
lie imtfiibt paiialis. 

lOTipi.' wlio hiivetlieil " an evil il.-atli -l-y vioUnn or 
,e a si«cial I'laee in tlie kin^d.ini of the dead, where, 
tliey find no rest. They are Imried witli eonteiniit. 
'le earth reekoiis with every one hefoiv aUowin},' them 
ihf. underworld. Anyone who has done evil, wl..-, 
.,„. „,^, , no deseendants, is stilled in the jiTfvyo hy the eartli. 
^r lime .Ills must l.a-s over a hridge as narrow .s the edge of a 
Unly tho.se siueeed in cros-sin? who Vuve never ill-treated a eat and 
. 'lUile deseeiidaiiUs. 



HATrAK IIKATIIKNISM 



n:» 



lca^t HCVC? 

witli tliis 
(Iwoll ill so 
(III ii iii^li 



lint tor 
Ifolievf in 
the ^ 
Hej: 
Ah m»o- 
the tii«t 
the most i 
his existiM 



,u'riiti«.iis. ThcHe uncestorH an- «oleiiinlv iiuost«-» 

-ityl.v a jjreat least. Tlu-y iire tho..u'in " 

m>t»"s(iiie i-art of tlu- earth, in s«»n..- ol.i tr.e. 

.... , ...^.. „ .miain. in a cavern. ..r in a M.lj.hurou. s,.nna 

All nature, people.l will. them. They 1 ..l mto the nnture 
aeities from whom u i often .lillieult . . nush them. 
The w..r.l.i!. of terrilvin- natural pl.e... ....a . .„,. to have 

f.ra.lualh assed into a worshi,. of the>. earliest ';''^-^-«;*'7- 

■ .11 that it must not he siinl that the Itattaks 

K mmortality of the s..ul. The sha.hmy lile oi 

uluallv eeu»es. it is not explieitly saul that the 

!f ill course of years tliev are alU.wi.l to vanish. 

mun.orv of a tlea.l person .lies away, whieh in 

-Unary man is very soon, and in the ease «)t 

nl ancestor is lu.t im»re than ten generations, 

M.Hex.suM n the kinwdtm. of soul, ceases. Aeeordins U. 

animistic tl 'A^ man is immortal only in his aeseemlants ; 

|,e lives on in his family. I'hey inherit his lK-Un,K..i«H. he 
enjov« what they have. Happy is he whose .leseenaants are 
many. It is not the individual who is immortal ; . is the 
family as Ion, as it .h.es not become extinct. 1 he individual 
uoes willingly the way of all llesh provuled he luis sons to 
propagate his race. He only who has no sons really dies. 
To the Animist that is a bitter so.row. Daii-hlers .1-. ..- 
,ount, for they are lost t.. the family l>y n.arry.n« int.. 
stock and thereby -ettin- other ancest..rs. Ihey : 
value, because they can olfer no w..rshi,. t.. the s; 
that way are of no use to the .lead. 

ri.e w.)rship..f spirits is reared ..n the basis., 
ri.e real kernel au.l centre ..f the ieli^'i..ns ..t 

'- The Nia.ssers .ay : Man .1.-. .»... l"".s u, llu> uiMlerworl 

, ,; 1 .. 1,.. 1,„1 live.l lu n , and ;it Ifligtli Ik' ."Oil, .dv 

ven times in the o.hc. ^....hl ai.l .. th.n reb..r. .u .uth to .1,.. again an- 
seven ui.i J tiaiiNi, igiiUi.m ot soul.', of 

.0 on without en 1. ' '^ ;';;'„,,,,,.,,,, ,,,. xh. Toia.ljans b.hev.. that 
.Uichwehn-lnutnio.. s h.r n ^_^^ J ^^_^__ ^^^ 

Z; w:,:r; r :: t^^L.... Th,. ..,.,.,. U.ii.U that .na„ 
die. a Imul tL. u, ih. uih.i- «u>hi, and then ah . ov.r with lam. 






i*' J JtJ 



64 THE LIVING FORCES OF THE GOSPEL 

Arcliipelasjo is this, and in comparison therewith the worship 
of the .'0(is has ahnost completely (li>api)earea. The worsliip 
of spirits lias to do with ilemons anil ancestors, vet the 
bonndurv between ancestors and nature demons must not be 
ri<ridlv ti'xed.' The worsiiip of ancestors lias almost entirely 
appnipriated the lult of demons. For the spirits of the dead 
in their malicious .loinj^s are scarcely distinfruishable from the 

demons. , . 

Two thinfis must be kept in view in ancestor worship. 
On the one hand, the dead arc expected to bless the living, 
that is, those with wh..m they were related by helpinj? tl.em 
to obtain riches and dcsceiulants ami by kecpiu}? away from 
them, sickness, failure of crops and murrain of cattle, m 
short, thev are investe.l with divine attributes and functions. 
But, on the other hand, the position of the dead is, m the 
,„ost melancholy way, ilependent on the behaviour and 
condition of their .lesccndants. They are fairly comfortable 
in the kiiif^dom of the dead only so far as their survivors 
honour them and are themselves of some consequence. The 
dead man is entirelv dependent on the consideration and 
social position of the iivinj;. Hence the Animist knows of no 
.rreater misfortune than to die without descendants, ior sucli 
an one lias iiob..dv who feels bound to serve and honour him 
•ifter his death. The dead demands, with the instinct of self- 
preservation, that the livin- honour him ; and he compels 
them to do so bv afliictinf? them. Ancestors are Imnourcd 
because ones own well-being is dependent on them. Hut 
oven those spirits, who can make no claim to the worship ot 
descen.laiits, compel men to offer tlieni sacriftces, for they, too, 
have power to torment the living. The worship of ancestors 
is rooted not in piety, but in fear. A living ol.l lather or 
..raiulfather is often abominably treated, for there is nothing 
To be hoped or feared from him. But as soon as he is dead 
the situation is changed. The prudent descendants bewail 
him with many teai-s and marks of s..rrow ; they provide for 

'Tl.e Christian lUltaksaton.- us- IW^u. that is s,,ints of the .Uvul, for the 

den,..usoftlK. BiUU-. Kv-rylhinK ,hn iac presents ,t.elf to tb™, .n th.H 

.irea.hMl form. Tl.ry c'all nKtinr .l.'iuons, and recently tho .levil, H.-n. 



BATTAK HEATHENISM 



65 



him pompous funeral obsequies ; thev ixdorn liis s«"a^'c " >*)> 
great taste ; they offer sacrifices that are ..ften beyond tlieir 
power, and finally they set him anion«j the heroes. 

Moral backf,'romid is here entirely waiitinp. The dead are 
desired not only to leave the iivinj,' in peace, but to bless 
their families. ' In return ft)r this serviie the soul «.t tlic 
departed claims lu.t only reverence and loving' reniend)rance, 
but also sacrifices and festivals. In lionourin<,' his ancestors 
a man serves himself. The world may not praise his piety, 
but it does praise the riches that have enabled him to pro- 
vide such a brilliant festival. The ancestor festival has olten 
the secondary end of displaying: the opulence of its -,'ivcr. 
The living father cares little whether he be consulcratcly 
treated, if t.nly he receive after death that lionour. which 
^rives him distinction in tiie kin«j;dom of the dead. That 
Teads, amons the Animists as everywhere else, to the ildraud- 
inff of the poor, for they can otler nothinj: consi.lerable to 
their ancestors. Hence we can easily understand how the 
mind of the Hattak slumld be set on riches. How he jjets 
them is of no consequence. Honesty will j^uarantce him no 
hisher position in the otlu-r world, while baseness and 
vul}?aritv are not there deemed dis<.iracefnl. 

In spirit worship the main end is in any pressin},' mis- 
fortm.e to secure the best possible issue. Attempts are 
ma.le by magic tt» force the spirits into mans service ; they 
are <leceivcd. fimffht a^rainst, and, when that is impossible, 
fled from. Men humble tlicmsclves in presence of their 
mysterious power, but try to make as much capital as they 
can out of the situation. 

The spirits of the newly dead must be specially shunned ; 
thev are soothetl bv lamentations, which, in some eases, may 
sprin-' from genuine i,'rief. but which, for the most part, are 
recited from fear and custom. They are means employed to 
show the dci>arted soul how dearly it was loved. The 
Battaks have a special dialect for lamentations sung at the 
.rmve It differs from the ordinary idiom in *'.at the names 
of all things are paraphrased. That is manifestly caused 
less by {.oetic taste than by fear, fear lest the be-u may 



1 



fiO TlIF, L1VIN(J FORCES OF THE (JOSPEL 
obtain power over the thin^-n and persons if called by their 

"'Thr<S\.re feared for a double reason ; first, because 
thev seek to draj? the living with the.n to the ku.K.lom of 
t e dead, even their nearest and dearest relations; and, 
s cond, because the ancestors are viewed as the guardums 
of inherited custom. Anything that has becon.e custom is 

. Tho s.mr- superstiti.n .l..nwu.,ls that, in war. in sicknoss an.l ... tl.o 
,.1, to,- rvmAwv things sh-mhl he .h.si-.iat.-l hy a ,.arai.h.w, a tl> 

:;;w;l.i:b:t ';:•..... c o,.,ia„,....d. as .. iuustrati.,.., ,aue th« .,n..- 

i„j; la....M.l ..I the wi.hm- of a chief for he. huHbai.a :-- 

Ah : ...y eonsoit, tho.i hast lelt me, ...V luince, 

Me. a .ice ]>o<] (i.e. solitaiy). 

A hiittiiiK eow am I, a hutting hulfalo 

Without a mate. 
The eon9o.t I ..lean who was taken from me. 
Now am I I'oor, 1 who bad a eonsort. 
Mv father / -. hushan.l), the ".eat, the illustrious, 
Whose walk was nol.le, who easily ,lem<,lishes Mount Si- 
Maualm... who rose iu st.ength (like the sun) 

And perisheil >;rievously. 
My father was railed in the evening (to the eounc.l meetinj?), 
In the n.orni.iK he was se.it for. 
A bear on the street, a ti«er in the gate. 
Now art thou overthrown, fath«r, vniice, 

My hiishand. 
Oh, ...y fath. r ! who ha<i ho- : ■ ' -rcw not weary, 

Kiufics that diil ..o. 
I eannot sulhcieutly l>e»ail iii> "Hai'l, 
My father, who was kind to every one. 
I must think of him when I look i.l.wards. 
When 1 lememher how thou wentest to market, 

Where business tlourishetli. 
1 e.,i. no longer see distinetly for the How of my tears 
Whe.. I re,>.e.nber the gieat misery «hicl. is in n.y body. 
That I (lilt iritlioiit (I hunlHiiid .' 

LAMKNT OF A MOTHKR FOK HKR DKAI) SON 

O ' my .les.-e..da..t, do ..ot yet alt.n.l>t to leave me. 
A ri.e iM>d. 1 will go i..to the earth m thy plaee. 
My father (that is, son) mu.st still live, 
Uive in thiN world. 

If thou shouldest die. 
Ah ' then 1 am as a hen whom one has niwle to Hy, 



BATTAK HEATHENISM 



07 



regarded as right, and offences against traditional o,«tom 
7e sins. Wnrng is avoided .>nly so far as there .s fear of 
the an.-estors avenging the wrong. The vengeance however 
WO.U1 not fall on the individnui, but on the whole fibc. 
The ancest.,rs, in the i.ther world, are interested m the l.tt 
of their descendants, an,l continue in some sort to hve wit 
then, though the earthly life alone is rU,, ntahs arul t^. 
other only a sad api-annt existence I hey are a«.y 
jealouslv on the watch to see whether tl .r descendants a.e 
as puncUlious as they were in their day, and w<.e to them d 
thevhave pennitted innovations. Through iear of h.s h^- 
fatiiers the Aniinist is cnservative t.. the hone » ( -reat duets 
who have w..n outstanding merit in connectu.n with the 
politics and life of the trihe. also the fonn.ler ot a vdlage, are 
Larded m specially sac-red. They watch w.th keen eyes the 
doings of their .lescendants. Hesi.les these, there are legions 
of wieked demons, spirits of tin- <h-..d, who are not aneesto.^, 
but who, on account of their malice, compel a craven worship^ 
\mong these are the dead who had no sons ; the souls also of 
tlule who died of hunger, leprosy, .>r cholera . t e souls oU^ 
very Poor; the souls of those whose corpse ha.l shrunk atttr 
death All these are specially dangerous t.. women in preg- 

As a horse which mie has let loose. 

My (lesceiKlaiit will leave iiie. 

Mfi, ail untimely birth, 

Whieh I like a hot pot cannot hoM ; 

Like iron .nnthy work which will m t hol.l to«ah«r 

Yes, .t .Iraj-s n.e upvanl. it throw, me .own l.ke a 1..1 

When I romenib.r thy voice which coul.l not yet s,.eak, 

VVhi.'h .inswere.1 to the wonls of his mother only. 

I must ilrown niy»i'lf "f ^'"'" '*''''"• 

1 trown myself in the river Si ■run.alkio 

If thou art thrown into tie ilecp, 

Into the ace,, abyss, ,ron. which one cannot elan.ber up. 

I will nn.lertakc to make a ■ wiste.l rol>« 
The way to .leatii. 

worship .s I'-. -'^ y; •;, ;;;^;, , ., .^ „a,iilio.,. wm al.. ,ot ml of her 
has broken w.th »'" "^^ ' ^ > ';X custon. she has aetuall;- given notice 
...cestor worsh.p. B ^ -^ > ^^ 

to the ancestors of her jiurposi lo oi-, j i 



68 THE LIVING FORCES OF THE GOSPEL 

nancy and in child-bed.^ Many diseases are traced back to 
Sr influence. Because n.) one an.ong the I.vng voluntarily 
onoZ them, they make themselves to be ren.embered by 
LttbTtra; for m'en. The soul of a suicide is dangerous 
and still more that of a woman who has d,ed m gunng b.rth 
Zl child. In their nuilice they scheme to rum other women, 
and procure for them the same lot.- , , m 

Ea th, air, and water are supposed to be peopled w.th 
spiH . Thov are most numerous in the ^-est and the waste 
tk ds where they lie in wait f..r the living, and attl.ct them 
wih 'disease and madness, or drag them away to an awful 
Icath They prowl round the h.mses at mght, they spy 
Zth the'er'evices of the partitions, or come mto the 
Lc in the for,n of son.e n.an or beast. Sometimes n 
pidemics they can even be seen. There are "- w »• ha « 
the spiritual gift of being able to see sp.r, s and souls. 
Son.e imes these men see the spirit of the dead stepping 
blin U e coHin and perching the soul of a living man upon 
it-The inevitable result of which is, that the man mus 
die The number of dangerous spirits, to winch human 
™- lory is traced back, is legion. Names are given am 
™ttribntes ascribed to spirits of particularly ba<l repute, such as 
T^ -1.0 causes cholera : he is of n terriHc --N and carries 
a mighty club with which he smites his victim to the earth 

Th si spirits have no relation of dependence on God 

Belief in God, or gods, and belief in demons belong to entire y 

e "rate d..nains. -he gocul-natured (Jod has no powe to 

can the mischief of the spirits, and is never besought to 

lot The ancestoi-s alone can help in this conflict..^ ^Ve 

ave'here an unsettled dualism of religious thought Co,.- 

ll of the goodness of (iod, the Aninust seeking for an 

^v hnition of the evil and misery ..f the world, misgu.ded by 

h lu^st ions darkness a.ul horror with which death is su. 

rounded, has been led by his Animism to the spirits of the 

, .1,.. I'ai.uans also the souls of those who .lie a vi..leut di>ath 

same thii.H i^ f'>">"l '"n°"« ""■ '^''"'"•'- . , 
■J The same i.lea is found aui.iMH tlie Kols. 
. The Ewe certainly ex,ect hel,, from God aga.nst ev.l sp.nU. 



BATTAK HEATTIEXISM 



60 



dead. But these creatures of a fancy inspire.! by fear have 
{rraduallv overshadowed the Creator. The fear of suuster 
beings, daily nourislied by human misery, lias for reb<,nous 
feelins? borne down the i.lea of (Jod. Wurm, in his «>i"»">'"K 
up of the animistic reli^'ions, confirms this. He says : " I his 
one (Jod, in whom all peoples believe, is thoujjht of as a <?oml 
God, but without control of the evil spirits that can injure 
man, so that men need not apply to Ilim for deliverance 
from these spirits, but must work out deliverance for them- 
selves. Hence few sacrifices, or none, are offered to this one 
God." 1 Wurm also says of the coast tribes of the Cameroons : 
"No evil that falls on man comes from Loba ((Jod); \z is 
caused bv evil spirits or magicians. Having nothing to fear 
from Loba, they gradually forgot Him, and the purer know- 
ledge of God was obscured." - 

We stand here at the centre of animistic religion, vi/», 
spiritism. How are the spirits, that is, mostly the ancestors, 
honoured? Men live in communion with them. No im- 
portant matter is undertaken without first consulting them. 
Before and after a journey, a military expedition, or the 
laying out of a village, they are consulteil and presented with 
"ifts. The consciousness of being always dependent upon 
them makes men endeavour to keep them in good humour. 
That is done by offorings, mostly offerings of food. The 
spirits, who would fare ill in the other world without human 
help, demand from the living means of subsistence, the soul of 
which (shadow, exhalation) they consume. It is the business of 
the magic priest to determine who is to receive an offering, and 
what it must be, in each particular case ; for he, in virtue of 
his science, can hold intercourse with the spirits, m dreams, 
for example, or by oracles (inspection of fowls). A tradition 
has been formed as to what each begu must get. Some receive 
bananas and siri-leaves, others fiesh, eggs, or fish. Since the 
sacrifice to spirits forms the centre of their religion, the heathen 
are called by Christians and Mohammedans "sacrificers to 
spirits"— a designation which they also give themselves. 



' P, 
2 P 



Wurm, 
Wurm, 



Hau.lt.iuli iI.M Kelipoiisgcschichte," p. 94. 
' Die Keli"ioti dir KustcnstemniP in Kamenin," {>. 34. 






y^ >W:^ 



n^'.m 



70 TIIK LIVINIJ FORCES OF THE GOSPEL 

In return lor this service tbc ordinary .piritH are «pect«l 

in reii n aisDcnser iron, their evil attentioi s. 

'ZrtX I^.t.,Uo .hare in «U U.. intor^t. |.f ■ c- 

U?. tWr ,L-o,uk„t», arc cxpotoi to ,U, nu.n- ma. all 

LI" """!■' -k fr,„„ .i.Hl, a,„l ''V-rie'wtli 

reyard.n^' the wishes of tht clc. ^^^^ ^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^ 

ii:,r;,ir:;:,ar:i:r5u.,..ici..i.e.v.ve 
"'t:':;ora':"::;.r»Mi.i». ...r..-«i. «;.u>^ ■n;";-;*;;;-^ 

of aneestors are carelully preserNed, tor ^''^^ " ,,^.,^ 

. N.one can -y -'-^— "■^;:':::':, ' ^li ^ o»s t'ree,. have 
th. s,,int kiii^-Umi, ... n. -onscmiencc of si«cwl n, 

^Ti;r ;i::r:::;:;:r'::^-e ro. ... ...n .ea. .vere„ee rortUe 

ancestor, through n.^.lution of lh« «kull. 



\i ' TAK HKA'rilKNISM "' 

for the BpiritiHt cult. Kvc. huir. nulls, pitu-cB ..r cU.tlm.|:. all 
1.C thini, already .ueMionea a. inforn.oa w.tl. t - - >^ 
the acad, are valuable as .nedia. (Jver tlu- who) • M m n 
Arclu,.ehigo certain heirlo<.n.s qm^uka) ^'^^^ ;^ ' '^-^iJ 
becanse they are ^upi-sed t.. contu... :-- 1 '""*^ ;;:^ 
anceston.. Nc. native ,>aH. with tl.e«e v^ .ab hu^ 

of ancestors are also nu-dia uf .ntercuursc w.th ^1" '^^'^ "2 
they must Hrst be artitidally n.ade .o. NN •■ -- ;^ . ^/'^ 
n,ediain Nias and an.on, .Ik- Pa,nans n. '->-; ^ '^"J 
Land and Dutch New (Juinca. A carved ,.v «"••;•";-;.: 
i„ itself, has uo value lor the .uitw. and n.u.t »- ^ '- "J^; 
fieiallv nnnle the .Iwcllin,-,'!-- oi ;vn auceston 1 ^ '- ^ 
priest calls on the soul ..f the dead, and "'V't- ' ' » ^^ 
he i.na,e. Ther.>u,...n one wa.ts at the !^--/^ ^ ^^ 
little spider .u.anoko) shows .tsell . -el > J. ^ 
placed on the inu.-e ot the ancesto.. in tlu imu 
They see the en.bodin.eut of the soul ol the -'-»;;; 
tion The image is only tit to be a n.edu.n. ot .nt.u..u.s. 
lion. 1"^ uiioo'- • 1 i u -n... i'liiuuns .b*<> manu- 

when this has been annexed to it. I he 1 apu. 
facture carved figures i,. which the sp.nts '•» ^' ^ ';' .^i 

cludoL'cal analysis.1 Accorauig lo ., „.it,,,wses 

intellieut Battak Christians who ™;y:;;;;f ^" :^:r:: 
,,,1 partly n.edia t».e».-lvo«,s-» ;"-';; 
follows. The relatives ..r tannhes ot the t- ^ '^ ^ 
together on the village street, l'^^''^'' ='*!'> ;'V;;i.;„llecl 
consult the ancestor, 'the dnuns beg.u ^* > ' ^^ ",^— 
.nouotone. The u.ediun., nu.n or -on. n .b .^ h..^^^^ 
aran), who, however, is never th. .•> it pne \ . 

:'2„ sr:"::;;r '^:rz:^ ...^. -a.,... ... ,0...... 

from insanity. 



Ii 



n 
« 



72 THE 1JVIN(J FOIU'KS OF TIIK GOSPKL 

inhalinfr tl.e narctic smoke of the iucciHC. Soon he riseB, 
an.l to the heat of the .Irurus hej,'in« a danee. I his .iaiice 
consistHof copvnisive movementH of the hands an. feet it 
irrows more and more lively, and ends in eonvulsive leaps, the 
dancer hreakin- .lown exhausted, ile has now heeomc a 
new man. and sees the spirit in .piestion eonnnjj to h.m in its 
earlier h.unan f».nn. He is no l..n«er sensible of his own 
body his feelin},' and thought are those .)f the dead. Un- 
men around him seem to him snudi, red in eolour: he feels 
ciddj 111 his exhaustion palm wine and betel are given to 
him Frenzicllv he swallows often handfnls of the sharpest 
pepper. Bef«)rJ asking counsel of the spirit that appears m 
him the medium is tested as to whether the spirit who is 
summoned is really speaking through him ..r whether he is 
fei.Miin<^ it. The relatives inquire about family secrets, about 
far" away members of the tamily, and about circumstances 
known only to the nearest surviv..i-s. Should the possessed 
person approve himself by fitting answeis the reason why he 
has been called is stated, and he is asked why he '» a"?ry, 
and what must be done to avert the .-alamity. The de- 
mands of the dead, whatever they ai-e. must be met. Spints 
are summoned in order to reveal where things lost or strayed 
men - be found. Childless married people consult them 
as to h<- V they niav obtain children. The help of the fore- 
fathers i> besought in epidemics. When the first missionary 
came to Silindung in the heart of Battaklaiid, a medium, on 
the occaion of a sacrificial feast, expressed the conviction 
that unless they slew or drove away the white man with his 
new customs, the ancestor won 1.1 bring evil upon his 
descendants. The medium is frciuently also the foreteller 
of coming events. Thus, from the statements of some old 
Battak Christians, some years before the appearance of the 
first missionarv, a medium foretold his coming and exhorted 
his grandchildren to '.' trken to the good message of the 

foreign men. r _n i 

The ecstatic condition is often, though not always, furthered 

by artificial means such a., incense, drum-beating and dancing. 

A metlium. however, is freiiuently possessed without these. 



' ^'. U,i .J' 




HATTAK UKATUENISM 



73 



The iiiedium i» much evhiui«toa hy \m efforts. Not 
infreqtiently at the besinninp of his career he falls ill and 
dies ; such iwople it is said never reach ol«l afje. Hut they 
have a hi^h place in the people's esteem. They are i)ersons 
to be reverenced, and whom it is dangerous t«) come too near. 
No one becomes a medium throufjh study (like the datu). 
The spirit himself chooses his own media. While it is difficult 
to pay the datu for his labour, the medium receives nothing. 
When he dies a successor is tiot appointed by election or any 
human mediation, but only by the intrance of the spirit. 
Shamanism is found amonj,' many peoples of the Indian 
ArchipelaRo, the Hattaks. the Javanese, the Rujiinese, the 
Alfurus in llalmahera, liuru, Ambon, Minahassa, Borneo, 
Bali, Letti, Malacca, amon«r the Papuans, and in the south 
sea. We come upon it also amou},' the Kols, in South India, 
and among manv peoples of Africa. The Shamanism of the 
Tunguses is highly developed.^ It seems therefore to be 
a frequent accompaniment of spirit worship. 

In many cases the possessed may be skilled impostors. 
But that itself does not explain the ecstatic con.lition. 
Attempts have been made to trace back the paroxysms to 
madness or to epilepsv, which are states that may be 
artificially produced. But the Battaks arc capable .)f clearly 
distinguishing madness and epilei— from possession. Mental 
diseases of course, like all bodi! leases, are trace<l back to 
the influence of evil spirits : but a medium's ecstatic condition 
is of quite a different character. It does not resemble any 
known form of madness. A madman never seeks to proclaim 
the will of ancestors : he never pretends to Ik; a medium of 
spirits ; he is tormented not by ancestors but by evil spirits 
only. Before and after the paroxysms the medium is in a 
perfectly normal state of mind. A mentally diseased or 
epileptic person is never consulted about the will of the 
ancestors. That would be done as the more simple procedure 
were the ecstatic state of the medium regarded only as a 
mental disease artificially produced. Moreover the mentally 

' Kruyt, •' Amraisinn,- ,,. 419 ff. Wurm, '• Keligionsgesch," p. ^J ff. It 
aUo frequently appears in China : H. Talyor, "I'astor H«. p. 153 tt. 



i«| 



>nii S 

ii 



>-i. j^^... 



01 i 

t I 



74 THE LIVINl! KOUCKS OF THK V,O^VVA 

a.ea«e<l . entirely unHt to be a .n.Uu.. Atte„n.t. t. explain 

the n.atter ''V'^^'^^r^^'^);:; 'h ^ ( '^^^^^ -e .irn.ly 
one enit,Mna tor another. Il>i """«■* ^ ^, 

convineea that these thi««. are -f ' ""'\ ^^ ,, ".u. „ : 
work of .le«.o«s. TLcy n.eet our .lonht - ^ '-';,,, 
Do you know any Wetter expbnut.on ( '."';;,'; f,, ;»,« 

,2l:;.ll:^.;.i^l.t..e actual in.Jn.,eeoni.^^^^ 
fron. eonseiouH ainninuilation .le lu.u.n, >"«;''' ^^a 
liut thiH is eertain that in the heathen woria t^ "" "'^ ^^^^^^ 
by the (J..Hl>el there are aark H,.ir.tual l--^' \ rf^. ,^7:; 
Je in (-hrUenaon. know ..othiuR, ana that the ^^^'^^^^^J^ 
• ii . fr<.iii tlii> kinf^aoni ot tlarKnt^s 

exposea to n.any n.Huenc.. ^^^ ^j V"?. ^Ve nn.«ionanes 
from which we seem to be proitcito. 

t y U. ao justice to such facts, the nu.re so that .e 
4 7 ai our con.munities sincere C-hrist,ans who w. 
JilcMUBdves fonnerly unaer such influence, a.ul who guarantee 
its reality from their own experience. ' . , „, .,„„« 

"ulttak Christians, who were ^''-'-'^ "^ J^^ '. 
„.ea.a, have son>etin.es, a,nunst the.r -'1 ; f^^ -^J^^ »; ^ '^^^^^^ 
the possessea state. When, ,ts they say, ^^'> ^ccan t '^ ' 
a.r.»in thev were n.aae profounaiy nuscrable by tht.r tall, 
S;i.^^«"-d n,e that they nu.st have been actu., unaer 
a constraint which they couhl not resist.- 

. A.iailio„al yr.ois will .. ^^'^^^'Z'tTl^^^^- Christianity .,:.! 

•^ M..t.Vr, the ,.»ssun.ary «t ^ 1"-' '"^; ' ^ ' „„^.^ ^ ^ sacrifuial 

,lr..a.ly .-tcrci o„ its course ol ^"■^•">' ' '"^ ^„' ,' ,.soaso.i yout).. A 
r..ast was hol.l by the ...ath..,., o,> --""'»; "ZlZe.s.X afUvwanis to 
C-,,i.t.an at.he sa.ne tin.. a,.,H.aro.l -'■>;■" J Xt 1 vould kce, tlu.u 
the nu«siona,y that h. and h.s w.f. had P ^ ''^ .^;, ,„ ,,,, ',„„« to 
from th.. evil s,.irit, and yet, f ""f J ^^^ ^'^,. ,,, .ens., was thoroughly 
that village and been vo^sesscl. *>'• * ," ^'^^ ' !^ ' ..^ oan.e u,.o,> her, and 
ashamed. A ^hristian woman """'p/!^ ;';;.;, ,„, The older -^ the 
then .he no longer knew what was '-'^ ' ^ \;, i„ the neighbour- 

si^isr'^et;:;;: ::r"^: "r r :. . it.^. •- - ... 



HATFAK IIKVIIKNISM 



/i> 



The de«ce.ulh.K «pi"t n.ake. u^ of u ^l--^« ^ 
words of which, like that of the tunoml ^^J'^^^J 
paraphnu..., partly obHolcto, and not ""•»;'^'*^'"^' ^ .^^ . j^ .^ 
ft is possible that a n.ediu.n n.ay have P" ^^ . 
vocahu ary beforehand, but in n.any eases .«o.t " "'»• 
As a rule the dru.u nmst be l«aten a lon« tune .f th s, 
of the ancestor is ♦.o con.e, and the n.ed.un. .s ^vont to brn 
IL convulsions by a dance. Hut ..e.ther -^f^ 
„cce».sary. The ecstatic condition .s n.ostly '"""« ^^J^^, 
by a cerLin intoxication and disorder oi '"-•. Xrno 
rarelv c.n.es to a n.an unprepared and at a tuu « hen m 
one is tlunkin« of it. S.n.etin.es the --'•";;;;';;^^ ! !^^, "^^ 
kn.»wn the dead num whose conscumsnes., luv ^^l'''^^^' " 
ow,r »»ne who was born a ( 'hristian rcpor e. two ca^ m 
Xh won.en. on whon. the spirit had ah.hted. - ' '^^ f 
writings lluently in their ecstatic cond.l.on tlum^h .n t h t rr 

^m.wTl lf-c,„„ci.m.,.o».. H. ..«■,, tlu.usht. und rc,lace 

It i.u i.rivcr till' sMMiiaii liii'iinn' 
spirit ha« nothing more to do w.ti, yon. ^ '■- ■ > . ,,^^.^.^._ ^,,,^ 

iio., but after a timo lucame res less ^^^^J^^J ^^^ ^„,,.i, ,,,, the 
l,ld not in the end resist her. ^ '" ^ J " „; ,„,,„ ,..„.,..„, h- 

heathen village. L..te, s -- / '^^^^^^ ^ ' * ., ,.,.,,1,. „„w .Id I 

.i... and that she was ashan.e.l at ''.'•' "f " •";/;„, j, „.,,s.i,.n ot my 
have left n.v ehddren alone .n the M..h "■ n 1^_^^^ ^^^^^ ^,_^^^,,, 

.enses. Only a few .-oek. a«o . .« '> ^ ^^^^^^ ^^^^^^__ ^^^^^ 

..erUinly have prevented „.■ iron. ;.o,.,« to s . h a , ^^^^^^ ^^^^ ^,^ ^ 

, was ,lou.«. An .her won.an, .. l.W. j7;;^;;":,.,.,,.„.,,,. ,shan,ed an.l 
„..t know how sh. went to tie ■ ' o • ; ,,„„li,late for baptism at 

,fraid. Both won.en are ,e«.. a, '•-'«-. ^,,^.„ ,^ „„..„.,„, was again 
Si Maran.Uir (Silind..ng). who had f n ly _^ j,^_^._^^ ^^ 

and aga.n .ssaile.l by the sp.r.ls - >; "; \ ^„ ,„„., ground the 

UU.e. she -•l'>->'--l'7Vnr- h r Itves that unless they made an 
house like one iH,ssessed, '.""'- "^ J f„^^^,i pron.ised. it would gire 

-t^::rrs .:r::^t':^i «. .u and .to^iy ma.. 

Uh." tJ-t .he d.; not k..ow what h.d happened to her. 






1 



c 



ji- -• 



76 THE LIVING FORCES OF THE COSPEL 

then, by a forcipn actermininp power. It m worth noting' 
that heathen ChriKtiu.m unai.i.nouHly expluin i..mseH«.<M, not 
by iliHcaHis hut bv HUi»crnatunil intUiencoH, and thc.v «lo so 
with a L-lcarnes8 and ass.irance which i« otherwme Joic.gn to 

'*'tTk- .lead are wonihippeil first of all In putting their oma- 
menth and property into the urave along with thorn, by 
killincHlaves and cattle at the Imrial,' by prq.armg a great 
fcant at which much foml is divukd anu.ng the guests. 
Three days after the funeral T .od i« placed on the grave, 
together with the dead nuuis tul oco pouch and tinder I 
Mmiev, tobacos food, an,l -ill knuU of c.bjects are la.u w- 
the gnive that the dead mai. may carry them to the re atiVi . 
who had .lied lH.-f..re hin.. The grave i. ornamented w,tt 
the horns of the buffalo that was slain at the death teas 
and at a later time with wotwlen and stone ornaments as a 
memorial of how nmch the dead man was honoured C arved 
an.l chiselled images commemorate a .lead chief. 1 r..nuuent 
heads of tribes are burie.l at first provisionally, am years 
after when all the flesh has rotte.1, the bones are dug up 
again an.id the beating of drums and the firing of guns^ 
These are anointed, presented with foo.l, and definitely set 
i„ a prominent spot. On this ...casion as many as fifteen 
buffaloes and one hundred pigs arc slaughtered. Hj this 
Bolemn cerem..ny the soul of the ancestor is promoted, and 
becomes a higher being in the .)thcr world. 

After the lapse ..f about seven generations from the rteatli 
of a .listingui.htd man his descendants constitute him o 
Suniang..t. But it is always a matter of-/.; ui >hs ii..^.judj 
as he is now under obligati..n to bless his people. >Nhi8t 
sacrifices are ottcre.l to an ordinary bcgu only when he makes 
himself perceptibly unple. it, ..fferings are ma-le to the 
higher spirits with-.iit any constrauiing cause. Large cattle 
only must be ottered to them. The highest stage to which 
an ancestor can climb is called So.nbaon. lie is installed m 
that rank also by a festival of the tribe There is binlt ft, 
him on the market-place a little dwelling-house, which he 

' The Dayaks bury a liviug slave with the dead. 



BAITAK IIKATIIKNISM 



77 



visitM at the fca.ts. A buffalo or a horse in Kacnhml. and 
,tt blo.Hl offcrtMl to hi.n. The Somhaou ik a prmc-e txnxouu 
the aead; it is sai.l that hi- munetimc^ asoen* U to <•«»«'. "«"J 
remains a U,n,' time with Hun. »li^ '»«»'»«''«' *'"'*'*;; 
.booses for hini^lf, nuist not U- entered by n.en. IU> •« «etn 
Hometimes in the form of an inunense Hen.ent. AHct U.e 
manner of nemi <lcitie« the S,.n.ba..n oc u.su.nally nnnsk. with 
men, abduct beautiful nmiden.. carry on all "»\"';^'' ; 
roguish tricks, and son»etimes bless indu.dnals with ncJ. 
gifts. To their .lesccn.lants. however, they are protecting 
spiritH ; they are their real <..:odrt. 

As the relation t.. the spirits is ni no way conditioned by 
moralitv, it is only natural that attempts should be n.a.le to 
turn the power • : he dead to onen advantage by means of 
mamc The u. .1 (dalt.! has a cl(»ser connection with 

them 'than ^u. en, and knows bow to compel tho,,uto 
his servic. ■: :. . »f course, applies less to the ancestoi.*. « ho, 
on receiving .iferal gifts, are always ready to pn.tcct the 
house the village, an.l the tribe, than to the remoter spirit. ; 
J^se need coinpulsion ..fore they will serve the niagicaiu 
That is most clearly shown in the Battak pangidubalang. A 
l>oy from another tribe is capture.1 ; his ^"♦'f «7 .'^ ^•"^ ^ 
da nties. One day he is brought ...it m front of the Mllafje 
where his eyes ai. covered. The magician steps m froi^o 
the boy and (piesti.ms, one might say hypn..tises, lum . Wilt 
thou ^. whither we send thee ^ Wilt thou do us good and 
our enemies harm ? Wilt thou defend us .a war and destroy 
our enemies '( Wilt ti.ou kill those whom « ' name to thee i 
To all these questions the boy, without m.sgivin- says yes. 
Meanwhile iLd has been melf-d on the fim u. .sudden V 
poured down the b..y's throat, and the buy u.cs. .he *j,rpse 
rZnt to a.shes; the ashes and the fat are gathered a.ul 
made into a magic medicine. This is conceded in a sto e 
image, which thereby bec<mies endowed with a soul. M.t 
souTof the murderc.1 boy is employe.1 as an a.d in wai ; it is 
sent out to kill enemies, or to cause them to commit su.c.dc. 

. The probable object .f tl.is mo.le of killing i. to prevent the promi.eH 
'.. ing withdrawu in the death struggle. 



m 

m 



''! 4 



n Tin; UVINO KOltCKS ..F TlIK (iOSPKL 

tl,cy, l.i» iiinxtcn.. *t liin.. I i " „,clmm-» 

.,„, r..r, a. - ^'^^^;^, burning c* 

animal. ■n.>'n tUc s,..nt ,nc 1 »• > ^ |,.^ -...^aeror.. 
■";;" ,'""1 ': r- V n^: m\ :;.r;i:at«n.nafat,K.r;- ..e 

::,!:':::!,:w.:at «.' n. tan., ..r «. .„.«. nn... ,i„ » 

;,„ler to ,l.Tll *cnrc a,nl l,e ;;;';'""°;: ,„ .,,,„,;„ „,„, 

^■Yttt.i'i:w"..s';>;:;'i:iu.,,™^^ 

are sli,)t at and altatki l,i,„iinK .m tin- wooden 

,,artition» ol the ''"^ ; , '^'\'^,„^^^^^^^ ,„„l ,„akc t'.en, % 

""" '"t;: r:". :Si;; s,...;,,, a„ .,. n,., >„ t.,c 

,„wara» the village entranee ' '" ''" °„'; , „,,. „„,,. „e 

;:3:;:o^:.:»- ho .ee^.--- ,-t;;^*:;i 

.„ Was l,„rn tl,e nau. ana. ma cW » ^ , „„! ,„„„,, 

Certain »gm -""I'''' »" ' ''"; .,' ^'^ „f ,|,o wihl eitn.n an- 
..„tran.e of 'l"""""";. ^^l , n "h aU of water i. ,.h"-' 

■ A ,... ''•^';-^;i;;':;;r;s:t'::5:;;;:-r,;'r 

„..,....,n.l s..ul...i.:V n... ;;;•-;,„ !,.. ,„,.. .„ tl. „,.,i- w..,.l wlufh 



UATTAK IIEATIIKNISM 



79 



in cascH of ncccsKitv no one leaves the l.ouse after '">"»"^»' '^ 

l f *..l-.. tlu.ir share. Diseases are spoken i)t euj.lit 

out of envv take their snan . ..„..* l„. t-ikcn 

,.,i«tieaUy; If a sick pcrs.. is inM>royu^ -v ^^^^^^^ 

:;;:f^:Ji:t;-rirusofthea,.artea'n.^ 

are also oeeasionally assaile.l with nu.kery and wrath. 

if a ,..■« ,lay l.a.l ho.uu. an.l «... o «J k .a ^^^ ^__^^ ^^^_ ^_^ ^__^^ ^^^^^ 

,., of the a,mnal. ..<i mak..,. .he --I'I^.I^III^t^;;;:,', ^., A., .ouls ,h. 
have a vi.or of a (!■>« "i' "I •« l"t- ' ' ' , , ,,, i,,^^, ,l,.. spirits think 

.,.«,.ity an.i wealth, y'-^^ ,:;»,:;;;„ ;t;^,„h. ..u„,h. >-'y 

Then h,. s«u,.« it .>ut into th- In.U «;>-;='';_ ' , ,, , ,;,,„ ,„ ,,,.,Wes 
of a stick. A ,Kc>.l„u l.«h. >^ """; '•,,",,,„ t.,«„ N..„ «.i th.r.- ... 
eml«i>,k,nv»t. ... ,.,..t.v. u . 1,1.... .i . ^ ,„.„l.tnl hy M..i.'..s. 

-'-■^ "' -' •' :" r .::;;;: ; : t : .h.. .u-i:^ . ..^ .•..•> --t 

.n„.p„l.,fa.,.Mj,h.........K '•'"!• '1 ^,,„_, „„. ,,„„.,., i. 

„„t U- ..r...'.l wi.l...Ht 1.- !..n..-M..., .- ^^^^ ^ ^,,_,,, 

U. .,,,.....1 with..ut .■.,„s,.ltn.« th.- K-i. It «a. 



80 



THE LIYIN(J FORCKS OF THK (JOSPEL 



! I 



I 



The worehip of spirits, with the fear underlying it, 
completely fills tlie religious life of the liattaks and of 
nil iininnstie |»eoples. Their whole daily life in its minutest 
details is saturated with it. At birth, luuue-givinj;. eourting, 
niarriasje, house-building, see<l-tinie and harvest, the spirits 
must be eonsidered. In woo<l-futtin<;, in the laying out 
of a village, in war, in eoinniorfe, in smithy and agricultural 
operations, they must be satisfied. They shan> in the meals, 
the dwelling, the blessings of the harvest. They receive 
their share of goods before any of the living: they witness 
everything, and demand eoiisideration. Tiie heathen in 
their own way are eminently religious' They make no 
distinction between religion and social life. The business 
of the family, the stat*., and everythi ig else is built upon 
and determiiu'd by the religion of spirits. Hence the all 
but innumerable nudtitude of prohibitions regarding foiwl, 
usages, words and actions. Hence the observing of days, 
the interpretation of dreams, the sacrifices and feasts, with 
their important chiims. The heathei spend nnich on their 
religiiMi. Ti> meet its claims they involve themselves in 
hopeless debt, neglect their hibour for their daily bread, 
impose upon themselves the most absurd sacrifices, and 
never think of grumbling. In all that, of course, the 
reference to (jod or god^ falls into tlu- l)ackground. The 

riul lliiw K:i"k as thr tjo'l was iiHi'iiilfil, The- nlll. ill lausril ilir iiimp' ti) lie 
liliii!>;lit l«lor»' liim iii \h< ViUiu:', aikI tlu' lmiI wii^ I'liiTiiiirlt-.l to throw 
liiinselr liiiwn in piiM ii. . ,.1 the M iiiilrtrni a> i> ■ii-'tiiiii ir\ at miilii tii.s. Tlif 
i.lcit tt«« laiti Willi it- Isirv ..n tin- iriuiiihl, .imi tlir M iri'l um - i.M.ii it Hki' n 
wolii.'ili foi II- Mi-iil'"i'liriali.iri. , .iiiilrimiinn it- w i, kiiM.rliaMniir in nut allaw- 
in^; till' wal- 1 tu ll.nv Im. k. altli..iii;li ilia! wa- in n— aiv fm iln- wclfaic nf tlif 
la. 111. Ill' lliPIl ilrllviTi-'l tlf I'liil III till' roll.-.t.llili> In i;iv<- It l.ii t v strukes. 
Till' |H'ii|.|i -aw notliiiii; I All i.inlinaiy in that a- il \\a- in liaiiii mv with tliir 
ii|"iis ii! till' ulatiMii l.i'lwi 111 til. .,'.,.1- ail' I tlnin ( ' ( 'liiuiiiili- nl l.unili.n .Miss. 
.SiK'icly. l',">r. p. li'iS 1. 1. .\ I'lii; 'iiiitiiiii'' I .li.iuv'lit |ii.-\ai|.'.l in Shan -i. 
Winn all sariili. i - I liliil. ilir i.jnls \m h i I i a,i;^;i-i i liuin ihi- li inplr aii.l [.jariil 
III tin l.uiniiiu: -nn tli.il Ihry nii^'lil lli.iv r...iM iM'I >)i|iI. ami -.. -nnl llic 
iii'eillii! I. nil N'l llnu - ■!! p; i' in at i.iii (II. Tavloi, 'A rhin, -r .s,h.,|ii. ' 
p rj'.'l, 

' Id iii,'iiini li-iii niii- Ihiiniu'h all Ihr i!aljiiii.« nC I In' rupnan's lilr. 

W'r net till' .lainr inipn'n-n'ii li ih.' Kw.', ihf Ki.l-. tin Kaiiii,-. the 

HiuniliiH. I'll' 



•MW...Afc- e-iM: :*-»- 



J 



I 



FKATIUKS OK ANIMISTIC HKATIIKNMSM 



HI 



Hpirits arc really tiio <,'o<ls, ami never lias tvraiit niim< 
criicllv tornifiitr.l liis slaves than tlio spirits and aeinniis 
their "l)liii.le.l worshii'pers, if the heathen were .lesirctis 
()f fiettin-; rid of (!••<!, why <li(l they n<.t seek a l)ri'_'hter 
aiufinore eheerfiii eiilt ? "Wliy. in all the worhl. .lo they 
worry themselves with reli<rions tiiat yiel.l them only labour 
and sorrow i 



n. TllK CIIAUACTKHISTIC FKATIUKS OF 
ANIMISTIC IIKATIIKNI^M 

The more thoroiifjlily we study animistie heathenism the 
more astonished we heeome at the won<l' rfiil system wliieh 
we had never dreamed of Hndiiitf air.on-: umivilisi'd peoples, 
amoii^ eamiil'als an«l liead-hunterH. We diseover that even 
viliKed heathenism shows a work of thon;.'ht. Superstition 
has a system. Its luii^ainly features are not marked hy a 
planless' eapriee. hut all eoiiver<,'e to one centre, the view 
of the soul as the hiirhest f^ood. Th." strange world of 
ideas confronts us as a eompaet philosophy of nature. We 
are fairly amazed at the uneivilised man s inherent love of 
knowlc<lj,'e. the need he feels for a rational approach to 
the eni-rmas and forces of the w.irld. and for eomint,' to an 
uiulcrHtaiiding with the supernatural. Animistie heathenism 
must he taken as seriously as the hii,'her reli;^'ions of (Jreece 
and India. It has not found the truth, luis even wandered 
far from it, hut what a felt need for ki.owle(L'e ! AnimistH 
are enuufjed in putting <iuestions. tlu- prol.lem of human 
life has risen u])on them, an<l they are wrestlin-.' with the 
rid.lle of existence. A melancholy -ravity, a tragic sadness 
runs throuiih animistic rcli<,'ioii, and all frivolity and 
cniuvment of life are far froui it. The s,)len.lour of the 
tropics has been unable to bri^'hten the relijiious life ..f 
the Animist. The results of his rellectiou are <lark, hard, 
and cheerless. The friendly L'i.ds are far away, the spirit.-, 
are nunurous and f..rmidable, their service hard, while 
fate is pitiless and their own souls unmercilMl. How 



i 



^wm 



jr( 



82 THK IJVINC FOIU'KS OF TIIK <;(>SI»KI. 

precious must religion be to men when it lcii»l« tiiein t») 
accept siu-li Imnlcns ! 

Hut linwever nuicli we may hv surjjriseil l»y the animistie 
system of tlntuj,'lit, we must not suffer it to keep us from 
hK»kini; at tlie s«.l)er facts. It is only the outer side of 
thinps" of wiiich tl.ou},'ht takes liolil. We cannot tell 
wliether. in earlier days, (iotl was earnestly sou<,'ht, hut 
the animistic lieathcjiisni of to-ilay thrust--^ (JotI ami the 
irods aside. No one nowa<lays seeks alier (iod. That 
which was formerly invented, perha|is in a sincere desire 
for knowlcdtre, is now ossitied into ri^jid misunderstood 
jtictures, which, h(»wevcr much they rule the priictical life, 
excite no one to rellection. Hardly a'ly (me can now 
explain the meanin-,' of nsai^cs .so .-trupuhtusly ohservd. 
The Animist of to-day knows no laiKmrint? with reli<>;iou8 
problems, far less any wrestlinj; with them. It is easy to 
idealise Animism, and to surround its adherents with the 
<,'lory of souls in eaijer search for truth. Hut the picture 
w(mld not be true. The Animist of to-day is imprisoned 
in a tradition he misunderstands . his thouju'hts and 
asjiirations are directed solely to earthly values, and the 
supi-riiiitural interests him only so far as he must come to 
terms with it in the interests of his earthly well-bein<r. 
Animistic heathenism exhibits a com/ilf.iio ojtpusitorinii ; a 
.search for truth and an intlifference towards the Divine; 
a reflection on the deepest pntblems and a clin<^infj to the 
stalest externalities of life : a very real, sorrowful resi},'nation 
accompanied with the deepest moral corruption. The 
piiiidul labours (»f fornu-r generations have been fossiliseil, 
and become a cur-se to the later ones. Hut the preaching 
of the Cospcl has to do with the heathenism of the present, 
and if it does not mean to j^ive njt all its inllueiice, mu.st 
paint heathenism neither too white nor too black : it must 
do justice to all its fort-es, the j^ootl as well as the evil. 
An elephant may be taught clever tricks <|uite contrary 
to its nature. IJut that is not the real elephant. The 
elephant nature must be studied in the primeval forest, 
not in the circus. Ilcatheuisiu and its forces are only 



FKATIRKS OK ANIMISTIC UKATIIRMSM JU 

unaerHt<.o(l in intenourso with tho l.catluMi. Tlu- nioHsenRcrs 
of the (Jospol will only hinilor tlu- su.tcks ..f the (Josprl 
hv any oiio-si(U-<l cniphiisiHinj,' citli.T of thi- lijrhtn or of the 
fiiia.lows of heathenism. Mission work must, in its own 
interest, endeavour to work out as true a pieturc of 
heathenism as possible. It is a matter of neeessity, 
therefore, for us to enter into the details of this questu.n : 
what features stand out as essential from the ehuos c.f 
animistie heathenism, its doetrine of };ods. mmls. and spints. 
The missionary ou«ht to he in a favourable position for 
8ueh an inqiiirv, seeing' he kn..ws not ..nly heatlieniHin, but 
what is mueh more important lu'ie, he knows the heathen 

lis well. • • f 

Any <me who has an intimate aequaintaiiee with animistie 
heathen will see that they are possessed by a reasoned world- 
view eoneerninK the all soul and its inllueiiees. but that in al 
real relii,'ious .piestions ihere is universal uneertamty and 
frreat isinoranee. There is a .lesiiv to understand surnuuid- 
iufl nature with its mysterious i-owers of life and .lestrnetion, 
but it remains full of mystery and <lread. They have ii dim 
sense of some higher supernatural power direetiufj these 
natural foree.^ They «ive names to that power ; they clothe 
it in a human uarment : they endeavour to find out what it 
is, yet all the while they feel that they are frro|>in-: in the 
dark. Custom and tradition lull them into apathetie repose, 
but they alwavs beeome eonseious of their ifjiioranee hx hooh 
as they are eo'nfronted by the sure eonvietions of the fon-i^nier. 
The only arv'ument whieh a heathen briii«,'s a-,'aiiist any fhal- 
len.'in"'«loubt is an appeal to the ancestors. Our fathers 
taul'lit" us thus. FA-ery heathen admits that he kiK.ws 
nothin^' certain about (Jod, or his relati(.n to Him. alx.ut 
creation and the life to come, that is to say, about those very 
(juestions which he would fain have answered. The mission- 
aricH when they incpiire about reli-,nous thin<,'s always j,'et the 
answer: "That is not known; we »annot see (umI," Hut 
when they ask further : " Why then .lo ytm name the »n\s 
and tell stories about them i " the answer is : " The aiicieutH 
have so told us, but no one knows anythiuj,' clearly alM)ut 



) ;i 



!1:J 



m 






84 THE LIVING FORCES OF THE (.OSPEI. 

them. " ' The inherited tradition about the life after death 
satisfies them, beeaiisc they never reflect upon the subject, and 
know of nothinj? Iwtter. Tlie animistic heathen knows notliinR 
about reliRious problems and personal convictions, and has 
no desire to think a«;out thoni, for lie <U)es not regard 
religious matters as jjcrsonal convictions to Ik; won, but as a 
fixed possession of the tribe. All that his countrymen »)elicve 
he accepts unquestioningly. The religious and intellectual 
life of the people is smothered in incredible indolence. 
No one has any sense of responsibility. Every «)ne «loe8 
what every one else does, and every one bows in scbmission 
to what they all fear. 

This fundamental uncertainty is found every • re in 
animistic heathendom. Asked al)out his conceptir , of the 
other world the Papuans of Dutcii New Cuinea arc wont to 
answer, " We do not know." When the people of Ma«lagascar 
are sounde«l about their religious affairs the u.suul answer is, 
" We do not know that.' or, " We <lo not think about these 
things." A traveller once asked a l)au\ra highlan.lcr, " Who 
created the earth and the world ( ' The answer was, " We do 
not know : we are a stupid people ; all that we mod to 
know is how to kill a big animal and cat it. " If a Herero is 
asked, "Whither do your people go after death T ho will 
answer, " 1 <lo not kliow." Missionaries of the ( 'hurch of 
England Missionary Society re|>ort com-erning the Dinka 
(Soudan), "They have very indistinct notions about the life 
after death, and, if <piestione<l <»n the subject, some will 
answer (..-c..,oO, 'We ih. not know." To all his deeper ques- 
tions, Uohner. on the gold cast, always got the answer, " \Vc 
do iu)t know." An ohl liealhoii of Ma-(iwaml a in Scmth 
Africa said, "Why does cmr land lie in death ? It is because 
we are ignorant. Let us learn, and otir land will livo. ' Even 
in India, Missionary (iloyer declares of the Dombo in 
Jevpur: "It is incredible how foolish, ignorant, and 

'It is possiM.' to .lis.uss r.li-i-M .imsli.)..« wit!, Mol.;UMn..<lai,8, Imt I 
have never M.cr..t.dca i.. .l..it,;4 -' «i'l' "" I""""" "' !^">"«'^'- 'l''"7 f'-'il 
tl,.. «eal<urss ,.l tl..ii ,.osi..o„. Th,- MMa.u.n.r.laii l"..m,.s k.'.-n and .inKry 
in reli^i.mH .ii.scusMoiis, ih.. luatlim ret.Kiins cool, a.iiuiU. l.is iRno.ance, ana 
inlrnicli.-s himself hcliind his inability to know. 



KKATIUKS (»K ANIMISTIC IIKATIIKNISM H5 

dependent the heathen tire in rcligi«ms thingH. Wo would 
do them grievous wrong by asHuining that they understootl 
their religion in the slightest degree. They have only a 
practical interest in it. Father and mother have so done 
—further than thai there is only stupidity." These testi- 
monies, taken at random, could easily be increasetl. 

The system of nligion sketched above must not <leceive 
us as to the insecure footing which it gives to its adherents. 
There are no martyrs of an animistic religion. The inherited 
piety is supported solely by the rotten pillars «>f cu8tt)m and 
tradition. When wo missionaries arc gathering material 
concerning a heathen religion, we got the most diverse 
answers, for the traditions do not agree. It nmst not be 
supposed that the statements we have made above un-lvr 
the rubric, belief in the gtuls and in spirit.^, are a spiritual 
liro[)erty (»f the individual heathen. Very few of them cau 
give even fragmentary explanations. It is oidy by various 
collections, by knocking at the most diverse doors, by the 
combination and the comparison of material collected among 
kindred tribes, that we get any clear picture of his religion, 
such a picture as indeed never dawnetl on a heathen mind.' 
lie is satisfied to conform to the cultus to which all sub- 
scribe. The world of thought on which it is budt is to him 
a matter of total indifference. 

The student is surprised to find the same wavering un- 
certainly in the morality that is closely ct»nnected with their 
religion. It is impossible to cimstruct any harmonious system 
of the ethics of animistic religion. No doubt a custon> has 
been formed to which all submit, and which they have not 
the power to disregard. This custom has two roots, the 
stronger i)emg tradition, supported by fear of the ancettors ; 
that which has been is right, that which is new is to be 
rejected. Its other root is egoism. Certain limits must be 
drawn, or everything will go to ruin. Theft, adultery, and 



' i| 



■I 

•i, 

*'l 
*■ -I 

i i 



''{%,• .ighl vi. w IS fivqu.Titlv "I'tiii...! ciily by ...iiifarisnii of tlic ^iew» 

a,„i rusKmis uf kin.lr-l | pi.-. AimI .t i. .just tl.iH systenmli.- e..m|«.moi. 

of all rcliilionw. f til'' Ar'hi|"'Up> whu !i in. 
reli»l)l« m ita results. 



i.ikrs Kiuvt's Viiiok oil Auiniisni no 



•I 

■1 



86 THE LIV1N<5 Fi^RC'ES OK TllK (iOSPEL 

the like are punishable act« in the interest of »leccncy and 
onli-r: l.ut they are not nu.rally n.ndemne.l. Theft m 
punishe.! at one time, at another it is praised as a sitrn ol 
cunnin.'. The adulterer is devoured in certain eireuinstanccfl, 
vi/ when he is ptM.r; when he has no p..werfid relations to 
protect or ransom him ; but that d..es not prevent lornicatio.i 
bein- stanipe.1 a manlv virtue. Lyiuj; is condenmed m pro- 
verbs, but parents rejoice when their son exhibits adroitness 
through shameless lyinir. There are lK«autiful moral fables 
which inculcate' virtue and rectitude, love .in.l hdelity but 
the man who made them the rule of his cnduct w.uild be 
luu.'hed ;it. Kvervwhere there is eontradicticm, obscurity, 
aiuf i-iioranee. It can be shown with s.mie appearance ot 
truth that the animistic relitiions tench that the },'o« s 
aveimc evil, and also that they are utterly indifferent rcKard^ 
inti it. llctribution in the .»tlier worhl is p..stulat<'d ami 
also denied. Their fatalism makes all nu.ral cflort dlusory. 
Lofty tiiou-' ts and the foulest coarseness ijo irreconcilably 

toi:cther. 

Paul ill Acts xvii. :W eharacterises heathenism as x/'""" 
r Tvv ..v.'."'.«s- I Ic calls the heathen in Eph. iv. 1 H. fa.or,^^u^■>H 

ure compand in scripture to tiie blind (Isa.ah xlii. . ), and 
heathc.ism m darkness (Isaiah ix. -J; Acts ^-wi. IH; Eph. 
V H) This does not mean that there is iiothm- but iii^ht 
and darkness in heathenism. Darkness means, in ser I'ture. 
ieiioranc.. in moral and reli},M..us matters ; he that is in dark- 
ness kiH.weth not whither he tjceth : he has no ;4oal iK'lore 
him ■ he sees no wav. and «ropes about in uncertainty. Ihat 
i. nrec.seU the situation of animistic heathenism on its formal 
Hide Til.' heathen knows lu.t whence he coineth, whither lie 
coeth or how he sh(.nld demean himself upon the way. J 

Hut all the while he hmu's for certainty, for an authority to 
<ru.ua;t- hun abs..lntc knowled-e. Hence the considera 
tion .'ive,>. U, p.;.sts and mafiicians ; they pretend t.. know 
«on. "hi. -J certain alu.ut the -ods and spirits. The 1 eatlicn 
r,.,^ to them in evers time of anxiety and distress, and pays 
•l-cm ii'.craiiv. 0-,en deceived by them he comes back 



■»! 



:i;^ I Mill . 




FKATIUKS OK ANIMISTIC IIKATIIKNISM H7 

jiRain ; \w .line's t.. tlicni us lli(> only \h'o\Av who know. 
This is tiie ta.isi' ..f tin' hn-atiiliss inU-n-st with wlii.h t In- 
multitude linteiis to tin- uttoraur.- of thr -'piiit wluu hi- 
Hi'ttlfs on It nicliuni lu- nuist kn..w :«.uu'tliin^' .H-nain. for 
he ionios. he savs, IVoni tin- Lini;.loin oi" >|.iri»-. One of our 
Hattjik tiiulKTs, in an I'ssay on tlu- Hi.ttal. n-iinion. •U.-nW-^ 
this ioninn..' hy a parahle : " Thf lii-ath(Mi I'.uttak- ^vk Cml, 
l)nt in doiiii,' m. tiii-y arc like tii.- yoiini,' Lii ' ti>! tak, wlu>, 
when its n.otlier has tlown away for looil, ■>■< . ■* ''iH "t 
every bird it sees, opeuB its liill even to tlie o, . Ilin^' wo<mI, 
and onlv wearies it.ell' In so doini,'. IW-lore it .„'els unythins,' 
to eat, its mother n. ist eome. So was it with tlie heatlien 
in tiieir >ear<li for (iod. Tiiey worshipped tliat wliieii was 
not (;od, and they only .vearie.l tlH-mselves in so doinn. for 
they nnide their Fallur that which was not their Father. 
They !iave reeourse to dreams, orneles, inspection of lowls. 
seareli foi siiriis. Jiid«jments of (mmI. and tlie like, i.eeause 
they desire a relialile revelation of (Jod. 

This uneertainty of aniiiiistir heathenism is shown in the 
numerous ineonse.pienees of ils »houi,dit and action. Men 
hclieve in (mkI, and yet do not trouble themselves about 
llim. He is called the -source of beiii;j:. ' and yei they 
trace the orij,'in of man to another souri(>. The ancestors 
■are believed to be depen ' i-t on the irifts of xhe liviim. ami 
yet tli<-.\ i.ray to them as the «;ivers of earthly U'""'- '■•'^^'' 
are pronmltjated whose autiiority is respected by w< yie, 
and evil is condemned and jiraiseil in a sin-rie bnalli. Ihe 
idea of an inexorable fate cannol fail to .-ripi^le .wry 
religions action, and rarely is any effort made !•> >aciiticc 
and^ma^ic to avert tlii' predetermined evil. A!! these are 
pure coiitiaiiictions that cannot be reconciled. W iu i- these 
iiicimsi-quences are pointed out to the Uattak ...' li:>- "" 
other answer than the .Icspeiate one. We do Mot know. 
The Chri.stians amen-,' them leel at once those contradictions. 
and tleli-iht to use them in their polemics. 

This childish, unprolitable. wavcrini; search has soinethmir 
touchini: ill it, which j.istihes the hope that the .Mriii^' will 
in tlue time lin.l. At least tlie> havi- tried t.. touch the hem 




KH 



li 



TIIK MVINIJ KOIU'KS OK TlIK (JOSPKI. 

ami liave fallen into the worHhip «>f 



of the Divine garment 

nature, .lin.lv Heein« in its lorcen, an.l faltenn^ly vvorHn.,,....j; 
t here the Dc-itv. Thev have Hounht for mune explanation of 
rwolu an.l the lifJ of n.an with it« duties enUu.«le«.entH 
an.l eni.nnaH. which w.mhl mitinfy them, an.l they have heen 
n .itTn the net ..f Aninu^n, this .narv.-llous pluhm.M.hy of 
;,aturewhieh .onKtrnets an All-soul ah.ngsi.le the De.ty as 
thf power ..!• ah-. They have sought to ..l.ta.n a «lnnp«e 
.„to the n.vsterv ..f .leath, and the .larkness that he. be.von. 
it, an.l they have fallen int.. the swan.p ..f sp.nt.H.n, where 
thy seek intere.mr.e with the .Ica.l, and yet at the same 
tin.e fear cntaet with then,, where they unaf,n«e hat tluy 
aredepcmlent on the events ..f that slnuh.wy w.)rl.n.ey..n. . 
and yet .Irean. that the livinjj have power over the .lead. 
But aH s.»on ixh anythi.-K new e..mes withm the hor.zc.n of 
,„.nv,lis.,.l man, whether it he the p..sitive i.ssert..>n ..f the 
Christian ..ussa-e ..r the self-eonseious propa^'anda of Islam, 
the iHiliefs he has hitherto held befjin t., waver. Ihey were 
uev.T inwanlly p..ssessed. The animistie heathen never - 
atten.pts to force his oi-inhms on the auherenls ..f other 
reli-'ions: he is not sullicicntly M.re ..f them nnnself t.. .h. 
this? So hniK as his ..wn circle of heliefs is not disturbed he 
lives in.lolcnt and self satislie.! nn his capital of mherite,! 
i.leas. And he .Iraws back n. alarm fr..m the stronger 
convictions of others. 

There is s..methin!i imnlonable in i5,n...rnnee and bin. ness. 
'n.cs n.av an.l .lo merit blame, but they are n.)t wickedness. 
Th.se wh.. have wandered fn.m the way may be bn.uKht 
hack, ami those wh.. are i!rn..rant may be taut;ht. Hence 
(Jo,l .-..uhl wink at lb. tinuss ol ifjn.)ranee (Acts xvii. .{(»). 
So far as heathenism is uncertainty, missionaries can R.. to 
work with h.)pe of sui'i-ss. 

\( l.owever, animistic heathenism were oi.Iy uncertainty 
an.l i.M...rance, the first ray of the Divine nussa-e that tell 
upon it would b.^ sulHcient to .lis|K;l the .larkn.-ss and put 
an eml to the biin.l u'n.pinir. lint there are mi-htier powers 
at work in li.'ath.'i.isin. Th.re is reveale.l in it a power of 



FKATrUI-:s (.F ANIMISTIC IIKATIIKNISM 



89 



...u-ertuinty. We do ,u.t n.ean to sav .l.ul ^'';/" " ;\' 
heivthon i« fuUc in tiu> pruitu-f of Ins roI.uM..n. No it m to 
|,hn a h..ly uml a snious luutU'r.tlu- most important buHUU-KH 
of lu« life; un.1 .von the niajjician. to wl.on. nmny jrroHs 
deceptioan ean be broujjl.t l.on.e. is nmre .le.T.ve.l t uu. 
deceivinL'. Hut all the nuinlHTs of tl.iH rel.«u.n are Im.uuI 
up i„ a .vstem of Hen, nuai-.st whiel. they are then.selvTH 
helpless. It n.u«t not l.c. sai.l that everythini: n^ annn.st.e 
heathenisn. iH lien. Then it w..uUl bo altogether maeeess.ble 
to Divine truth. The h.vin«. searching' eye o the people h 
frie.Ml will aise<.ver n.any Mattered r.y« of 1 ^ht and u keen 
desire for clearness. Hut the true thouRht.. ettere.l and all 
but nded out of the reliKious life, are redueed n. the.r udlu- 
,„ee to a n.ininuun. The idea ..f Cod still esmts, but ha« 
no u.eaninn to the Ani.nist ; it is held down by the Mleas 
al...ut spirits an.l souls. The lie proves stronger than the 
buddin>'; »ho<»ts of higher ideas. 

What has Aninumn made of Co.!, the lu.ly and -ruc.ous 
(Veutor and (loverm.r of the world ? It htis •liy.sted linn 
of His onnnpotence. His love. His holiness and r.«hte»ms- 
ue«.s, and has put Him out of all relation, with men. he 
idea of «Jod leu* l)eeonu> a mere deeoration ; Ins worslnp 
a caricature. Spirit-s inlerh.r to men. whose very well Ikmi.^' 
is dependent on mens moods, are feare.l instead of the 
AlmiL'hty ■ the rule of an inexorable fate is substitute tor 
the wise and j,'oo<l ^-..vennuent of Cod. Absurd lies are 
believed coneernin- the life after d.-nlh. and elh.rts are nunle 
to master the n.alevolent spirits by a childish n.a-ic 

\nin.istic heathenisia .leceives its adherents about the 
worth of life ami the way to ha,M.i»ess. It plants in their 
,„i„ds a false estimate of temporal },'ood and natural lite, 
outtiu.' earthly values in the tirst place ami Cod in the last 
It declares that health, abun.lance of children, property and 
power constitutes man s happiness, and any means ol ..l.tain- 
i„.r them is jiood. The heathen is deceived here m the sauie 
way as the drunkard, who is persuaded by his passion that 
drii.k must bring him rest. It is the same lyin- power 






MCtOCOPy ttSOUITION TIST CHAIT 

(ANSI and ISO TEST CHART No. 2) 




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90 THE LIVIN(! FORCES OF THE GOSPEL 



wliifh, in oppoMition to tlie clear Word of (lod, persuades us 
that riches and niiglit are iiappiness, altliouf^ii it is niaiufest 
that thej are not. Tlie lie pronilses " Hfe " to tlie heathen, 
if he observes ihe animistic commands smd i)rohibition8, 
cultivates his soul, ruthlessly treads ilown all others, and 
keeps the spirits in <i<»od humour.' 

Animistic heathenism dehnles man as to the worth of his 
personality, of that within Lini wiiich is Divine. It deprives 
him of his free(h)m, his personal spiritual life, and th'j^rades 
iiini to a will-less, thou<i;htles8 me:nber of a Hock of cattle. 
Who is it that j^aius the i)romised " life " ? The ujost 
dili<rcnt i<h)later, in exchange for his sacrifices and con- 
scientious observance of usajjes and |)rohibitions, only <j;et8 
an increased sense of fear. The result of the restless search 
for (Jod is a j^rowiiif; estranf^ement from (Jod. 'J'he heathen 
is reliijictus, and without meaniiii; it he is constantly blas- 
pheniin<{ (Jod. The thou}i;htful uuui sees that he has been 
deceived in his wishes, Ikuhjs, offerini^s, prayers, and acts of 
worship. No promise is ever rcileemed. It is not mere 
error into which the poor Aniniist has fallen ; a positive 
lying jjower has mastered the ignorant. Left to itself 
heathenism might have lost (jod and neglected His worship. 
But it could not have created such a caricature of religion 
for its own torment, unless some lying evil ]»ower, taking 
advantage of its ignorance, had painted for it a picture of 
(Jod, and of the world which leads the heathen far away 
from all he seeks. Animists believe that they have (Jod, 
and they have lost Him ; they believe that they are hunting 
for life, and they find death ; they believe that they are 
serving (Jod and are 1 1 is opponents. In this sense Paul says 
of the heathen that they a'e carried away to dinnb i(h)ls 
even as they are leil. They give the impression of a p(M)])le 
who are misled and d "eived in the most shameful fashiim, 
and who all the while believe absolutely in the lies by which 
they are being hy])notised. 

' If you sliuw till' ll:itt«k tljc folly ol liis iilolatry. you will always pet 
the answer; Is it not lilo ttiat wean seekiii>{ iti this w:\y ' This answer, 
which is seriously meant, eovers the basest eruelties. 



FEATURES OF ANIMISTIC HEATHENISM 01 



Tlie Ijiiifi ]M»wer lias also hroufjlit about uii inooiiccivable 
perversion of moral iileas. It re|)resents to the AiiiniiHt : 
" You arc imt responsihh- for your action, for (Jod lian 
created you as you are. ' tlie blame of all luiimin short- 
eominj^s beinjj tlius thrown upon the holy (iod. The lie 
kills man's belief in his moral freedom ; and it eondemiis his 
will, the divinest of (Jod's i,'ifts, to impotenee. The bad is 
• leclared jjood ; the most vui<,'ar ej;oism is made the sum of 
the conunandments. The lie is all the more daii^'erous in 
that it is mixed with elements of truth. Mmder, theft, 
adultery and faithlessness seem to be eondemiuu, and there 
are abnudsint moral proverbs whieh w«mM lead one to infer 
fine moral fieliui,'.' Hut these i>roveibs do not truly retleet 
the moral eondition of the jteople. Wickedness and vulgarity 
are i)raised and practised witlumt compunction. Ilarinles.s 
tliin<^, such as otienees a!j;aiiist politeness, are reckoned siuw, 
while stealing,', leavinjj; the sick to perish in their misery, 
robbing widows and orjdians of their «i;oods. torturinji to 
death the defenceless and such like, are not deemed wrous- 
Human sacrifices, head-himtiiif:. cannibalism and brutal 
cruelty are pious exercises of relij^ioii, part of the ritual of 
spirit worship. What a fearful power of falsehiwd is here 
that can thus turn upsitle down their ideas of <,'ood and evil, 
and rob them of all moral sense. 

The hypnotisiiifj; power of the lie is manifest in the 
fraudulent trade of the ma«,'iciaii. They know and admit 
that the mafiiciaii is an arch-knave who deceives wherever 
anything is to be <j;ained, but they are afraid of his mysterioua 
art, ami they neither desire nor ileein it possible to Ik? freed 

' HiTi' are soino Uattak indv.Ml.s. Tlir rmpty ■ai .if rioo stamis .Tcct, (he 
full one tieiidsluw. I'ride is the l..;;iiiMiiii; .il' (le.-iti'h'tiuii, i.uliteiies.- in life, 
insolence is niiii. Wlien liis wrath is iisini; a njaii iluts not tliink ot'ilestnic- 
tion. Do Hot strike the man wlio treats yon lulli eons; hiatioii, and do not 
fall upon liini who is eoniiiij; to meet ym. Vou will not h)se hy jjivinp to 
one who hejrs ; the rising snii eannot he ariested ; there is a ri'ason for a 
man heinj; lost, a cause for his jjoin^ 1" tli; 1 oni ; nothinj; tint evil comes 
from contention ; money ^'ot thM'ngh rnlih«ry vanisheth. There are also 
moral fahles which treat of charity, tiddily, |.ity. and j;ratitii<le, and which 
wouhl d. honour to (lellcrt. The Niassers have similar proverhs with the 
same low state of morality. 



J 









Ir 



i 



92 THE LIVING FORCES OF THE GOSPEL 

from the enchantment of his influence.' They turn to him 
aKiiin even when his avarice and deception have become 
notorious. The lying sway of the magicians presses more 
heavily on the adherents of the African religions than in the 
Indian Archipclag Bohner the missionary denies their 
claim to supernatural powers, and regards them as shameless 
charlatans.- And yet the degraded people submit without 
a murmur to their lying rule. These mischiefmakers are 
called as deliverers in cases of sickness or misfortune, and 
information is expected about the life after death from pro- 
fessional liars, simply because they pretend to be in com- 
munion with the other world. The oracle of the spirits 
through their media ; is it not like a caricature of revelation ? 
Deceived grossly a thousand times, the animistic heathen are 
willing to be deceived again and again. About fourteen years 
ago, there appeared in Battak land a wonderful deceiver, Guru 
Somalaing, who dressed up a fantastic mixtui-e of heathenism, 
Mohammedanism, Protestant and Catholic dogmas ; he sent 
forth silly oracles concerning himself, declaring that he was 
a worker of miracles ; he was a liar of the most vulgar kind. 
The Battak Christians mocked him, but the heathen ran to 
him in thousands ; willingly they gave ;.im money and cattle ; 
they stood in the pouring rain while he declared it was not 
raining. And to-day, when all his prophecies have been 
proved false, and he himself banished by the Dutch Colonial 
Government, many of his adherents still cling to hiuj. One 
get- the impression that the heathen are attracted magneti- 
cally by lies ; that having forsaken God they have to pay 
tribute to every deceiver. A heathen negro in Suriname 
admitted : " You serve the truth and we serve lies. The lie 
always gains increasing power over us, even when we do not 
wish it. When we are in distress we turn again to tlie lie." ^ 

' The Battfiks admit tliat tliey are shorn in tlie most sliameless way by the 
magic priest, Imt stupidly retort, What can we do, we cannot refuse to (.-hII 

him. 

' Bohner, " Ini Laudedes Fetischs." Spieth also convicted the magician 
in Tobo of many gross deceptions, e.g., in the judgment of God. 

' The Niassers belicvf the magic priest wlien he offers them the wildest 
lies. In Nusoor, New Uiiiuea, deceivers sometimes appear, pretending to be 



FEATURES OF ANIMISTIC HEATHENISM *X\ 

Deceived und defrauded in their relijrinn tlic heathen arc 
themselves <;iven over to lyinji. Tlicy Hcem to have lost the 
sense for truth and Imnesty. It is no exu!,'«?cration to say of 
the heathen of the Indian* Archipclajjo that they are all 
masters in the art of lyinR. Lyinij is to them synonymous 
with cleverness. There are many virtues to be found among 
heathen peoples, but hardly anywhere a love of truth. The 
Battaks cannot understand that lies arc dishonourable If 
you convict a Battak of a lie, which is really a very diflicuU 
thing, because he is so adroit, he will laugh heartily and 
think "you are more crafty than I. " At every step one is 
told impudent falsehoods, so that one comes to disbelieve 
every heathen. The missionaries among the otherwise lov- 
able Niassers have the same experience. "These Niassers 
are shocking liars, so that one is gradually forced to distrust 
every one of them, and e\eu every word." Without a (luiver 
of the eyelid they will use the deepest curses to confirm their 
lies. It is the same with the Dayaks «)n Borneo. The 
peoples of the Indian Archipelago are (juite infamous for 
their memlacity. The same is the ca.sc with the inhabitants 
of the Talaut Islands. It is said of the people of llaruku, 
With a countenance of the utmost indifference they will tell 
an untruth so gros.s and shameful that y»)U smite your hands 
in astonishment, and, if necessary, they arc ready at once 
to confirm the lie with an oath. The Papuan, although he 
says lying is bad, looks upon it as a fine art. He is 
vlexteroua in every kind of deception, and is a niaster in 
stealing. 

the ejti*cted MangRumli, who is to l.rinp a hapvy Hlf Irer from lahour. 
Everything they say is b.lieve.i, .v.n whfii th.^y <ie<larp that th..y can r«ise 
the dead. Though disaiipoiiitment always follows, they are ready to believe 
the next d.ceiver. An cxi.erience which Sjiietli had on Togo shows how 
willin" the heathen are to Xw d.c.'iviMl. A man in Ho, in older to put a 
celebrated magieian to the proof, came to him i.retendi.ig to be ill. He 
smeared his leg with dirt and declared that the leg wa.s badly imured. The 
magician declared it to be incurable, as he had got it from a diseased iHjrson 
in the pre-existent state. The man then took olV the bandages and sh'.we.l 
the oonfiised magician that his leg was .(Uit. sound. The spectators, how- 
ever, far from being convinced of the deception of the magician. <irove away 
the man because he had tempted Cod and n.ea^ured his strength with I'.od. 



94 TIIK LIVIN(! FOUCKS OK TIIK (JOSPEL 



« I, 



We arc told that Itanawalonf I„tlie anti-diristiaii King of 
Ma-lagiiHcar, wlione iiihal)itants arc partly of tlic Malay stock, 
a., mff the grievances which hr hatl against the Ch: stians, 
brought forward their unintelligible truthfulness. In the 
Edict it is said : "The answer you give in taking an (»ath is, 
' It is truj.' When you are aske<l, ' Do you swear,' your answer 
is, ' It is true —that surprises u)e. Wh'it do you mean by this 
word truer' Eppler adds this comment : To tl, people of 
Madagascar, among whom a lie is a great virtue and wisdom, 
it was certainly (piite incomprehensible and incredible. The 
Ilerero and Nama arc shameless liars. The Kattirs are 
niasters in lying, and it is almost impossible ft)r a European 
to convict a Kaffir unless he has convincing proof in hie 
hand. The man who speaks the truth makes himself 
ridiculous. The missionary Itossler declares that every word 
of the Shambala of East Africa is a lie. An african chief does 
not know the truth, as it is one of his princely privileges to 
be at liberty to lie. Hebusclianc says of them : '' You nuist 
put the same value on the saying of a chief as you do on the 
bellowing of an ox. The Heischuans arc all untruthful. 
The inhabitants of the Bismarck Archipelago arc all notorious 
liars and thieves. But lying prevails in other religions 
l)esides the animistic. An Indian proverb says thirty-two 
lies a day or an empty stomach. The llin<lus lie whenever 
they open their mouths, and can har lly speak one word of 
truth. It is a grievous sin for them t«) kill an animal, but no 
sin to tell a lie. (Hoycr declares of the Indians: "The 
heathen have been deceived and defrauded from their youth, 
and that has made their hearts untruthful." > Lying and 
deception are among the national sins of the Chinese.'^ 
These testimonies could easily be increased. Mendacity, 
lack of the sc:ise of truthfulness and honesty, is a feature 

1 A j)oculiar liglit is thrown on tlie niueh-boasted ijligiousness of the 
Hindu by their apjialling and shameless lying. " Hy their fruits ye shall 

know them." 

- I liave never known a heathen on whose word I could jiut any reliance. 
A Chinese is never more in his element than when uttering a shameless lie. 
A lie to them is exactly what an aiii)roi)iiate answer is to us (Griffith 
■lohu). 



FKATIRKS or ANIMISTIC MKATHKNiSM !>;'. 



I 



that we coiiif ii|mmi with strikini; unanimity ovorywhoro 
in animiHtic heathenism, and aisi» far beyond its limits. 
Menilaeity is not merely a national sin of this or Jiat people, 
hut mi;j;ht he said to Itc a natural and necessary manit'estatinn 
of heathenism. 

The result of this atmosphere of falsehood is univernal 
distrust. No one ean trust his fellow. The father distrusts 
the .son, the son distrusts the father. Hehind every w»)rd 
they scent a lie ; hehind every movement treachery. Hence, 
an oath is demanded in every protestation, in every «liRpute 
a judf^ment of (iod. Nothini,' hut tlu' fear ol the venjijeance 
of dark powers ean make any one speak the truth. The lie 
is all the deeper rooted in the life of the jieonle that their 
reli<?ion is pervaded by it. 'I'he spirits are uu)re dexterous 
liars and <leceivers than the livin<j;. Kven the ancestors, who, 
in a certain sense, takj a benevolent interest in the fate of 
their descendants, are not to be trusted. Hence, and this is 
the climax of the habit of vinji, the deities are deceived in 
their very worship.' lAin<j and eheatin<r are not wrong, 
but exhibitions of skill when it is a matter of saining an 
advantage. The deities and demons also deceive. As the man 
80 are his gods, and as the gods so are their worshippers. 

There is much untruthfulness in Christendom certainly, 
and falsehoo<l has become a sad power, even in the (iernian 
nation. But, in spite of its power over individuals, the 
Christian conscience of the nation is against it. Lying is in 
direct contradiction to Christian feeling, and so long as the 
people hold to Christianity it will not avail to poison social 
relations. Hut animistic heathenism furnishes the lie with 
papers of legitimation, for it belongs to the system. It is 
not merely individuals who lie, everybody does so witho it 
any public conscience reacting against it. The reason is, th it 
nnimistic religion is itself a lie. Whatever true ideas it con- 
tains in no way changes tluit. Truth is only where there is 
a right relation to (iod. Heathenism has perverted the rula- 

' A Battak lieatlien, : oiii a missionary oalli'd ti) account loi' his \vii:keiJ- 
ness, and pointed to Uh- tinal jud^'ment of <:od, answered. " 1 will pby God 
a trick." 



twk 



•.: I< 



96 THE LIVING FORCI'>^ OF TIIK GOSPEL 

tion to God ; it is thereby placed on « f'^^'"' ^asis and give, 
up to lic8. The perversion of the relation to Go.1 ha« mad- 
reli«^.us worship prayer, nmrality, all the re at.onH of n en 
to each other, and to the ««rroundin« world, .nwardly fal . 
Nothn. ' but a relation of man to Go.1, grounded on truth, 
fan make human life true. Hut heathenism has no th 
true foundation, and so does not know the way to truth U 
cannot of itself overcome this power of fa sehood <'"<!««"« 
can give back to people thus misled the truth which they 
have lost. 

, Heathenism is Godlessness, and cannot but be given up to 
the dominion of lies. We do not n.ean by that t at G od is 
an unknown conception in Anin.isn., «" ^'''l f % r^i 
attraction towards Him. A hn.ging and seeking fo Go 
runs through the aniu.istic heathen world hke a veui o gold 
n the dirty rock. Spite of all polytheistic sp.ntist.c or 
pantheistic overgrowths, there is no heathen religion m which 
here does not lie hid some din. presentiment of a de.ty who 
L of greater importance than all other deities and spirit 
Reli-nous (piestions are the real impelling powers which 
Smine he development of life in animistic heathendom. 
And those mission-workers, who are unable to discover ideas 
ol God in heathenism, amid all its errors, commit a serious 

""'Everywhere in the Indian Archipelago we come «PO" the 

idea of a supreme Deity behind the motley multitude of 

fl and demons. We have already seen how the Battaks 

tight of Debata (God) as above the five -W^^^oa. .n^ 

t e host of nature deities and spirits.^ However little they 

oul^ themselves about this vague idea, ft th^^'' •"^^'g-;; 

feeling is rooted in it. We are also assured that other poly- 

hlti peoples feel this drawing to God Tlie negroes 

of Central, ind West Coa.t, Africa, as well as the Kaffirs 

know of a supreme God. The Supreme Being worshipped 

by the Ewe n^ro is ealled Mawu " He who is excelled by 

nothing." An old chief said to the missionary bpieth, If 

1'. 34. 



FEATURRS OF ANIMISTIC IIKATHKNISM 97 

there is any one in my village wln> «1<)oh not, every morning 
on risinj? from hin mat, ponr out water on the earth and way, 
' O, God So<l/:i, poHsesRor of tleslj, jrnnit me this day my food, 
and grant that I remain in hfe,' he is not a man. When we 
go to the fieltl to break up the soil with the hoe we say 
beforehan*!, ' Mawu, (««)«!.' " Hut the worship of the Supreme 
(lod is thrust into the lmck<i:rouiid hy the lower gods and 
demons. The Wiishamha are aware of ii Suprenu' <I<kI, also 
the Wagautla, the Congo negro, the Siulan negro, the Herero, 
the people of Madagasear, and the Hush negroes of Suriname. 
Speaking from his own experienee among the K«>ls .lelling 
hau8 says, " I have come to see more and more that all 
heathen know that Cod is, and that if a dozen heathen of 
the most diverse k" ' " re to find themselves among 
Mohammedans or ' and to listen to their talk 

almut God and (Jo... .(rations, it would seem to them 

as self-evident that Gou n one and tlie same for all, as that 
there is oidy one sun. This (iod, Singbonga, is alone the 
true God, whose existenee the heart of the Kol is still 
capable of feeling. Hut this iidierited faith exercises little 
influence on tlie life." 

These testimonies «'(mld be increased to any extent from 
books on the history of religion, and from missionary litera- 
ture. Stoseh, in summing up the results of his incjuiry, says: 
"The unity of God is part of the contents of the natural 
conscience. In sj»!te of all pantheistic and polytheistic 
obscurings, in spite of all confusion of erroneous belief and 
fear of demons, a remnant of the consciousness of (»(mI has 
been preserved among all jH'oplcs. And this remnant is 
capable of life." 

This belief in God must not, of course, be called mono- 
theism. It is i>;)t the possession of the one (Jod, but a mere 
dim perceptic n shining through tlio haze of belief in spirits, 
a dim niemory of something better than the present, and 
a longing foi it that mostly does not even become conscious. 
The presentiment of G(«l scarcely influences religions thought, 
and has no influence at all on t' • religious shaping of the 
life, thougn it is in contradiction with present-day religious 

G 



n 



f: »• 



i 



9H THK LIVIN(J FOUCKS OK TlIK (!(»SPEL 

nracticcH. One hm no interest in the unknov'n (io.!. The 
a of the heathen i« like a paUn.p«eHt. the ""Kuml wn ng 
of which i.s written over an.l hecon.e un«een. No one know8 
anythins of the words of wi«aon. covore,! over there. 

i i. «on.eti,ne« said that this purer idea of God could y- 
Rained only after l.)n. development HoRinnu,s w.th an.rnist.c 
beliefs the peoples advanced, un.ler the pressure of fear, to he 
w rVhip of an nuvls and ancestors ; fron, that to the worslnp 
n t.re.<.«t of which ,rew the ,.hIs ; and then, through 
a richer p >lvtheisn,. they w<.rked their way up to the gradual y 
;;,u.<l !<U; of the one ChI. This hypothes.s ..ntrad.ct 
the pi.tuve of real h.-athenisn. which every one Rets fron 
li iaritv with it, who does not l<.ok at it thr..-,., coh.ured 
: r.taclc:. The idea ..f ( lod is not a .leve h.pment fron. Hp.n 
worship, hut is a co.itradiction of any snch developn.ent 
is a f.'rcifin body in the anindstic world oi \M. U 
oppose.1 t^ the nature doities, to the conception of the so 
as an all-n.atter, to de... .s and ancestors who •"^ve t^';^ 
the power <.ut <.f dods hands. It .s opposed » >;" *« t^, 
inexorable fate which banishes (!od fron. the worl.l, that s 
to say it is <.pp..sed to ail the factors that dete.-nune the 
ani,..is ie religious life. When we see how the heathen^m of 
to-dav rejects the idea of (Jod; ho- the ;^->^^-f;;' 
n.acl.iner;- is driven by the den.on. , how the priests the 
U-aders of the religions life, n.ock the original ideas of rel.i^um 
by niaijic and barter; how all thin-s are brouRht under the 
ban of a dea.leni«s tra.lition, an<l how no one among them 
reallv die's deeper or strives further ;-when we see al th.s 
we nmnot believe that it is a process of development that .8 
,roi„.r „n, but rather a process of .Iccomposit.on. 
" How do we know that the original beginn.ngs ol l.unmn 
n-li.non a.v cont,ai..ed in Ani...isn, and .Icn.on wo,sl..p ? I u' 
indrnnent ..f Soderblo... is: "We nu.st not beheve that the 
relirn,>n of the lower uneiviliscl peoples and tribes s a 
luithfnl picture of the earliest religion. Tl.ongh these 

.,, ,.,n,„w, "Die KoK';,;. .^. ^•;-;:^,r;r;.rrt:; 



FKATrRKS OF ANIMISTIC MKATIIKN'ISM 09 

peojdfH havi' no Iiistorv, vft nimiy thuuwiiulH of yenrM Imvc 
not |)iiNst'»l over thoin nn«l Kit no tnuv. In snnii' niBfs it i-an 
plainly Ik? srt'n that tlii'ir usaijos an«l lu'liofs mark a fall from 
a more oliiiilliki*, lait \mm- antl stroii.,'i'r, rt'lijrious ronn-ptioii. 
That iw cspcfially tin- iawe with thoM' tril)fs an<l jH-oph-s 
anion^ whom noreory and niai.'ic have complotoly stillnl tlu' 
relijiions sriisi" (»f ri'vorrnro and trust." If the spirit worship 
that prevails amon<j tlio Animists woro thi' olilost rrlijrion of 
mankind from which ovcry other rcliution was dcvi'lopod liy 
a loiij; and laborious |)roirss. how t-ould thi'si- ri-li^ions. 
wiiK'li represent the initial staj^e of development, derive any 
ntmrishment. in that initial sta^e. from the idea of a supreme 
(Jod, who, f.r linpitlliesi; should he the last meml)er of a 
lon<^ scries of aequisitions lalioriously won. Why does the 
Indonesian, when in <;reat distress, flee tn (iod, of whom, 
aeeordinic to that hypothesis, he should have no knowletlKC 
whatever. Mow is it that, in takiM<r an oath, the Animist 
appeals to (iod. That is forestallinji his developnuMit indee''. 
It is a fact that he has the idea of (Ictd; hut the fact that 
this idea is hut dimly apprehended proves that we are not 
•learm}^ with a new idea viet(»riously openin<4 up new paths. 
The idea of (Jod has proven unfruitfid in the development 
of their moral and relijjjious life. It is like a precious, hut 
frafjile, ornam* nt packed away in the ve>-v bottom «»f a trunk, 
whiel the mend)ers of the family scarceij. 'ver see and which 
they never use. The Animism of t.i>-day <^ives us the impres- 
sion of a reli</ion that carries the nuuks of a fall, of a 
worship no lon<?er understood and beccmie an empty cere- 
mony. Former jjencrations reflected on problems of the 
Huperiuitural ; they clothed in myths and names of i^ods 
their astonished reverential tlioufilits about the inconceivable 
powers of sun and earth. Hut now they repose listlessly on 
the iidieritanee of the fathers, aiul scarcely a trace of reverence 
can be found.' 

' It wfiiis |ircili:ililc', St .my I itc, that llurr must liiivi' liei'ti a iMni' wlieii 
our Slianiliala liad a ' 'ttiT uiiiliistaiiiliiif; nf tlic incatiinH ami sif-iiilicaiii i- ..I 
all tlif foinmlas ami iircuiniiiiH wliich tlicy mnv Ihoujjhtlcs-ily iisi-. Tlu- 
orieiual ossciac of tl.P religion of tlie Kainlia <ii(l not consist in this luli.l in 
spiriis ami its religious ]iractii ph. That is not only |irove(l t>y the fact that 



100 nn: livixcj forces of TnK oospel 

The BattakH bavo been accply influenced by M.o Hin.lnH 
who ruled the conHtH of Sunmtm. That is provcl by their 
lanKuiiRi'. which is mixed with Sanscrit wuhIh ; by their 
writinK, whi(rh sprinjfH fn»n. the same Bonrce : by the names 
of the 1,'ods and the remains of s<.n»c temples. Now should 
not the hifjhcr Indian religion have friictified the lower 
Battak one had that lower religion been in a state of 
development? Hut that has in no way taken place. On 
the contrary, the Uattak Animism has dmggetl «lown to its 
lower level the ideas of <Jod imported from In«lia. The 
words that were taken dinvt from the Sanscrit have entered 
into the service of w.rccry. All deeper IhouRlits have 
perished. Mohammedanism even, with its higher idea <tf 
(!<m1. cannot introduce into the heatheni.-m which it in- 
fluences any development for the beticr. The heathen, 
who have passed over t.) Islam, cpiietly ret'iin their 
demmi worship. Instead of the purer idea of (!o<l raising 
them, they drag it (h)Wii to their own filth, a proof 
of the tremendous down drag which animistic religions 

possess. 

Many heathen peoples have legendary jenv.i.iscences of 
a better state of things when men ■ ere \u intercourse 
[with (i«.d, and were happier than they now are. Kven 
savages of a low type dream of a vanished golden age. 
We have already mei^.ioned that the Hattaks believe that 
heaven was ontc nearer and more accessible than it now 
is. The Niassers call the second of the eight stories 
which are found above the earth the golden, whence came 
their forefathers. The natives of Molucca, the Toradja on 
CVlibes, the Olongadju t)n Borneo, maintain that heaven 

uuintclliKent olwrvanrp of cerenuinieH and symlxplical acts is always a sign 
«f leli.'ious (IwatLiicc, but is coiitirmed by tl.e lupvious existence of a innn 
idea of (!od, tli« AlniiKlity Creator of heaven and of earth (Unitzer). The 
worshiv of tiie gods in tlie upi-er worhl anil that of the fortes of nature, in a 
word tlie !Hytli..logi.al worship of (iod, is driven into the haokuround hy tlie 
worship . ! ancestors. That is undoubK.lly a retrogression, it lueaus ihat 
the wor.>! ip has never risen to a feelinj,' that couhl satisfy the lieart. It is 
as if tlie . ultus could never raise itself above f.'ar ^ind awe (Adriani, " Mittel- 
Celebes," p. f>'-i). 



1 



FKATI'HKS OK ANIMISTIC IIKATIIKNMSM 101 

was formerly iipiiriT onrtli. The mirao In-'lief Ih alwo found 
ill the South Sen. The KoIn thciaii- thiit men at limt 

Siii);iNiiiKU 



•nt, 



<1 h 



'ke«l lu« 



were in 

therefore went a Krcat HoimI, wliirh ile«tro>, i all men nave 
two.' A legend «>f the Alfiinm in Miiialuw*t*ft tellw that 
formerly the ;^(mIh tiiaintaineti active intereourNO with men, 
and the earth wiu* ♦'•ill of bleHsiii^j till the ^juilt of u darinj; 
man brou)jht all intereonrne to an end ; now one vainly 
weeks for any trace of that bleHwing on the earth. The 
Toradja decli«re tliat in former days men tlid not «lie. 
When they l>ecamc ohi they f^imply >?ot a new wkiii, like 
the serpeiitH, and with it a new life and youthful powers, 
i'apuan Ic^ciidK tell of a time when men lived in heaven, 
and there wan neither HicknexH nor death. Hut having 
been perHiiaded by a gigantic lizard to deHc-end to this 
world, they could not return, an*l became the prey of 
death. The Kwe negrocH declare that men in olden 
times lived lonjijer and were more happy. Ileavi > va.s 
''then quite near to earth, but (Jod moved heav\ far 
away, because men, after eating, wiped their dirty fingers 
on heaven, and struck (Jod in the face with their im- 
plements, or, according to another tradition, molcHtctl 
Ilim with smoke. Those legends express grief for a lost 
jfood. 

In former days there were no priests as mediators between 
gods, spirits, and men. Their appearance upon the scene 
relieves the indivi«lual of the necessity of dealing with the 
deities. Tlie priest uiuicrtakcs that for all. But super- 
stition is iiitensiKed thereby, and heathenism poisoned oy 
sorcery ami magic. Formerly, when each man was his own 
priest, religion was simpler aii<l religious exercises more 
inward, bocause more a personal matter. The appearance 
of the priest and magician, to whom the work of divine 
worship is now committed, and from whom all religious 
knowledge is obtained, bears witness to a lowering of 
religious needs. 

' A lejjend of a Hood is found among many peoples, such a.s the Karens, the 
Santals, the Papuans, thu Saniljciii. 



ll 



102 



TIIK I.1VIN(J FORCKS OF THE GOSPKL 



i I 



■ i« 



'I 



The .tuay <.f hcatiicu hui^uasc uIho makes uh sec that 
the reli.M<.iL of uncivilised peoples are n<.t strup n j^ 
^;i hut are ae^eneratiu,. Tlu. reli.u.us voca^ 
of the Battak lans»a,e is very neh but m pa t « bsu^ - 
that even the priests a,> not alto,etl,er "'"l^'' «"«'*• ^^^^ 
reli-'ious i.leus whieh those terms express umst ha>t been 
l^l;;.. in earlier days. The heathe.nsn. . to-jl^y •«- 
to .'ct on with a rcaucea capital of words Iht rt.ult to 
wLk Hittner was lea b.^ the study of the languages o 
1^ i!! tt everything which can be regarded ^ ^. -ond 
custom proves that these people are st.ll gon.g ^1«^«»;^"^ 

1 at thdr former condition was relat.x.ly mo e peHl . 
Thus we find that in repeated attempts to hx the cx.su, 
Jo abulary ™any of those n.issing higher ideas were existent 

rform^rt ».es, uul nuvny such words, almost vamshea from 
gcu;;"! speech, are yet founa at times in the mouths of 

r "'t KlLrv of all heathen religion sj^ thg history of t hsir 
^ fair ^ os l l speaking ot' tl.e h"gl.er -^Mons of Lncha, says . 
!Che r:H Ll of ci^ilisea peoples, whose ^^^-^^^^ 
back nuuiy thousanas of years, there is V^r^UU^^o^^ 
of a aevelopmcnt which is not to hfc but to aeath. Ihcj 
l^e not ill ascenaing but in aesceiuling ines. In e riie 
times pantheism luul brighter colours There w^siu t 
something of a longing for the light ^«^v itn cobu.. aic 
aarker, aiul the longing for the light, *»-"«»' f^'j^f^; 
l,..s become more hopeless. Any one who stuaits the 
IthXm prevalent il. maia to-aay will li«d himself m 
".tence of\he dark worKl of aemons. In e.rliei; nnes d. 
I^H^ion seemea only to ,^y^ wiU. t . w..^^ W it^l- 
f-vl en into its power. It wiauu oc <i pi^-" 
™os that it is only some of the lower castes who have 
ySea to acmon-worship. All religious usages are rul d 
ly more or less, especially the public worship. «dmn 
pfuitheism lias thus been traiisformea into a ^P^^tie pro- 
lucimr fear a«a dreaa. Tl.e decadence can hardly go 
ee ; To-day efforts are being made in India to bring 
„ ^ ain the re igion of earlier days; that is the best proof 



FKATl-RES OF ANIMISTIC IIKATIIKNISM lo:i 

r that the original religion is belioveil to have been purer than 

I that of the present. " » 

^ The Buddhism of to-day also is n..t what .t ome was 
In further India, nay, even in Ceylon, in Thibet, tluna and 
Japan it has, in order to maintain its existence entered into 
an unhappy union with the nature religions of the peoples 
it has influenced, and has aj.pn.ve.l their worship of idols 
and ancestors. Confucius did not see anything in the old 
Chinese religion that c<.nUl be improved by development, 
but .Icsired to conserve the ohl, which he deemed the more 
perfect. Hcformers of a religion have something of ic 
prophet about them. They arc not the natural fruits of the 
development that is inherent in the religion, but men who 
set themselves to resist its .legeneration. Kvery reformer 
and the reformation for which he fought is h,Uowe«l by a 
relapse. All human religions obey the law ol the attraction 

of the carth.2 

A dispassionate study of heathen religions eontirms the 
view of Paul that heathenism is a fall from a better know- 
ledge of CJo.1. In . .rlier days humanity had a greater 
treasure of spiritual good. But the 'uu.wlcdgc of (-ckIs 
eternal power and .Uvinity was neglected. Ihc Almig .ty 
was no longer feared or worshipped; dependence upon Hun 
was reimunccd ; and this downward course was ;•«;"*"•»«< 
till nothing but a dim presentiment of Him was let. it 
creature stepped into the place of the Creator, and the yital- 
pc»wer, the soul-stutt', and the spirits of the dead came to be 

. The n,i,Ml. and lower ,Ussos of India a.v already -■, '"'l'-^'-';;' "^^^ 

,he vorshi,. .,f .Hpirits, ol Miches, and th- oras^est sniu.rst.t.un that .t.> 1 K-k 

^,:i:^:^c .. otl^noVosislancc to the gradually innvasi,,, .e,„ .asm. he 

, Ct that it oa, do is to eover the latter wUh a dcepl.ve vv h.fv ash. It s 

i. Hyth, .sn. or >dolatry. hut w.ld superstition, w.teheralt sunound- 

Z 1\ <bn inatin. everything-, innuorali.y, fear and sue.al nnse.j that 

:do u te in the ,,.aetical life of all the.se ,,envles, ,n rh.na and Ind.a 

ZZ^tL in Afnea (Wagner, "Die hei.lnischen Kulturrchg.onen un.l 

'f^Z::^:i^'2 is in process of deeo„,,ositio., Kvon the .ewish 
and Chmtiau religions have stau.ped the down-.hag on the. -> 3-' - ; ^ . 
t.roved by the history of Israel and the Chnst.an . hurch. .,od ll.n,s I 
Eintl'iH.«e in tin>es of degeneration and work aga.n.st the law of grav.ty. 



IS 






104 TlIK LIVI. KOHCKS OF THK (;oSPKL 

wor8liippe.l. Men went so far jw to worhhip tiie sub-human, 
the devilish, and wore Riven up to blind fear of the object of 
their worHJiip. The reliRiouH fall waH followed by a moral 
fall. The proverbs, the fables, the ideas of justice, that have 
been handed «lown fn)m earlier times prove that the moral 
standing of aninuBtic peoples was higher then than now. 
The nations, in proportion as their religious views turned 
awav from (Jod, lost the organ for morality, an«l sank into 
the most inhuman abominations and barbarities. Thus to be 
given up to the lowest instincts is regarded by scripture as 
the punishment of religious apostasy. 

The ido ls, gods niml eJbx.meii^_coine J>et ween (iod an* ' 
man. TluyiootsofJiliL iirr poirtuiiul . by f '''" " "f demnuH and 
hyldolati j. Men make for themselves a real co nnection 
with whatjji mmi- 



I— a eaijcutu re of that c pminunion 



wltlTdod for_whicU man- i* de s t i ned {n o iv u w o ) tUm ^iiifumwy) . 
WlietlieT the demons have realit_y or not, tl2cj^l>ccomjL- realto 
..iP7ijijj2ro porTron as lueil ffitrruigC-tliPmsel ves frmi im- 
ITStosch says : " Incomparjs*^ with the truc^ idea of Gf»d 
the gods are pure " nullitim" But bcHimTtTiesc nullities the 
Tdoiatcr sees the sinister world of demons. 

The heathen, in spite of their dim sense of the Supreuje 
(Jod, have no connection with Him. The way to llim is 
barred by the spirits and demons. The Battaks think of the 
Debata as far away. He scarcely gives a thought to men, 
and there is no way to Him. The prayei-s are addressed to 
lower deities and spirits. The Niiusser thinks thus of his far 
away Lowalangi. It is said of the Kols that the essential, 
nay, the e-clusive influence upon their thought, feeling and 
action, conu-s not from the worship of Singbonga, but from 
belief in an endless niimber of evil spirits, the so-called 
Bongas. They acknowletlge it themselves when they say 
that " We have no need to worship Singbonga, who is much 
too good and does no evil, but we must worship the Bongas, 
who seek our life." The Shambala have no relation to 
Malunga, the (.'reator. They have forgotten God. The spirits 
have thrust themselves between God and His children, and 
holds them in bondage through the fear of death. No 



1 



FKATl'llKS OF ANIMISTIC HEATHENISM 105 

VVashamha haH any doubt of (iods existence, but they find 
it fri<;litlully diHicult to ai)proaili Him. The Ewe eall their 
God Mawu, good and wise, and oven look on Him aw an 
avenjjer of evil, but He is to tliein "a far off, hid<len (icnl, of 
whom only this nnieh is known, that He once permitted 
uninterrnpted intercoui-se with men, but thcu withdrew to 
an infinite distance from tliem l»ccause of their fjuilt. " 
They do not slirink from caliiiij; Him dishonest, because He 
also created evil, and He does not always act justly, since He 
has dowered nnin with deatli. If you jvsk a Hcrero why he 
does n(»t worship (Jod and sacrifice to Him, he answers, " We 
do not need to fear Him, for He does us no harm, as our 
ancestors do." They share the view of aiu)ther Bantu tribe, 
the Ndjanibi, that the j?o(td Creator has withdrawn to heaven, 
and left the orovernment of earth to the demons. The mis- 
sionary Richards asked scmie Coiiijjo nej^roes, "Who created 
these fruit trees ? " and they answered, " Nwunbi."— " Where 
does Nsambi dwell i " — " Kunasulu "—that is, in heaven. He 
then asked further, "Who created all these thinjjs? ' and 
again they answered, " N8and)i, the great Nsambi."—" But 
why, then, do you not worship anu thank Nsambi ? ' — " O, He 
does no -ouble Himself about us. He docs not love us. 
No doubt He created all things, but then Ho went away 
and asks no njore about us." 

The belief in a great (lod who created the world, but 
then withdrew to His private estates and left the government 
of the world to subordinate deities, is common to all the 
Bantu peoples. The Waganda call the great spirit Katoi\tla, • 
that is, the Creat(»r, but they trouble themselves very little 
about Him. The Soudan and Bantu negroes practise essen- 
tially the same «lemon worship. They have preserved, from 
olden times, the idea of the one ( Jod who is over all and who 
dwells in heaven, but they tear Him less than the spirits whom 
yet they deem subordinate to Him, and whom they designate 
by another mime than the (iod in heaven. The Bush negroes 
in Suriname know of a (iod in heaven, who created all things, 
but He is far away, unapproachable, and without interest or 
sympathy for the inhabitants of earth. The natives of 



l« 



106 THE LIVINfJ FOUCES OF THE (JOSPEL 

Mu.lacra«car have the name of (Jod constantly on their Hp«, 
but thi« belief in (io-l i« "-t a living faith ; every eonee.vable 
thing reeeive« .livine worehip, ho that their religion has 
degenerated into the grossest fetichisin. 

The heathen consciousness is also without any living senst 
of CJod as a determining moral power. Only the fear of 
' consequences and of entanglements keeps then, from wrong- 
' doing.i If, among most Indonesian peoples, there is any 
mention of a Judge who in the other v ..rid decides whether 
souls be allowed to go into the kingdom of the <lead, this 
.Judge is not supposed to ask ab<mt the goo' or evil doings 
of the dead, but whether he was brave and generous {i.e. 
rich), and whether he had begotten children. 1 his Judge, 
moreover, is not (iod, and has no connection with Hinj. 
None of their current rules about right and wrong are traced 

back to (J(kI. ■ i e „ 

In animistic heathenism God is hardly conceived ot as a 
person. He is not a living mighty God. He is entirely 
Eclipsed by almighty fate. It is not God who apportions 
man's destiny ; the s.ml chooses its destiny for itself from the 
general store in the pre-existent state."^ The lot of man is 
thereby fixed in its minutest details, and no God can in any 
wav change it. In the Mohammedan conception Almighty 
God stands behind fate ; in the conception of the Animist 
fate is a more mighty and a more fearful (iod than He 
who is called by that name. The life of the heathen is not 
i in God's hands. Why should a mm trouble himself about 
■ this powerless V.oiU It is of no use praying to Ilini, tor 
He cannot change man's lot.^' Though, in the formulas of 
prayer, (Jod is invoked alongside the spirits, that is just one 
' of the incouse<iuences wherein animistic religion so abounds. 

> Thiev..« do n.,t hesitate to i-ray f. Go.i for success in stealinj.. The Kwe 
,^y • " Kvery black n.au [.rays to Cod before he ^teols. Hctore the thief 
neah: anything he says, "May God help me" (Sp.eth). 

MVhen a Battak meets with uiisfoituue it is said: That was what l.is 
sonl desired, viz., before his birth. , , ^i. 

"a nattak tale speaks of a cripple who forced his way to God ni the uppe 
world. M..1 besought llhu to give hi... a well-forn,. .dy- But, as hi. form 
had b;en predeteru.i..c -, God, notwithstanding Hi. . • mpassic and readiness 
to help, could ...ake no change. 



FEATIRKS OF ANIMISTIC IIKATIIKNISM l.C 
We meet will. ,leteri..ini«m ainons many anin.istu- nations. 
TI.C peoples «.f the Indian ArclupelaK'o have all fallen .n C 
it The |.e.>l.lc of Nia« believe in a pre-existenee ..f sonls 
soulH not «c nu.ch in a ,.e..onal state as u. a knul o 
;„eral stoek or store. Kron. that store s..uls are we.^.o. 
out to every nnin by Ualin, the son ot Lowalan«.. Kvcry 
;:„ 1 entering into life is asW before his birth wWt 
weight or eontinuanee of soul he wants, what else he «an « 
to Imve on earth, what kind of death he des.res, etc. Iht 
heaviest share of soul jjiven out weighs about ten grannncs 
and whoever wishes and receives that reache. '^ ^^o"'*"!^";^ 
age. Those who die in ehildh.»od hau asked for a 1 ght 
soul. For this reas.,n when any one .lies it is sa.d, w^u>t he 
asked for is gone. If a .nan dies an unusua dea h ,t .s 
.aid, what does it n.atter, he willed .t, he asked for .The 
Toradja suppose that the Creator forges .ne.. w.th .1 fltrcnt 
ha.n.ner«, that every ha.n...er produces a dehn.te dest...y, 
and that n.e.. are given their choice of ham.ners. A.uong 
the Tontcnboan i.. Mh.ahassa, differct dest.n.es arc .nd.- 
c-ated bv differct lo..g-burni..g .natches. 'Ihe sea Dayak^ 
lH3lieve ihat .na.i's life is correspa..dc..t with the growth ol 
a tlower in soid la.id ; if this flower lang.i.shes the ...an 
perishes. The Kols say that the destiny ot every ...an .^ 
writte.. on his sk.dl before his bi.-tl.. I.. Iktt.gcr. (^i...th 
Mahratta), .... ohl won.an, whe,. asked by ^^^ i\u. '"'J- 
sionarv if she were ..ot a si,...er, a..swe.-ed, " Ihat .lepe,..ls 
upon n.v fate." I., the regio.. of Honor (Ka.iani) ,t .s a 
standi..g phrase, " ll,.w ca., we ventu.e to d.a..ge oi.r 
reli-ion so lo..g as (Jod withholds fro.n ..s the w.ll =u.d the 
power to do so." The Kwe tl.i.ik of .ne..s s..uls as pre- 
existent in the other world with the '• Mother of bp.nts 
who bore then,. Tl.c.ce, at her wish, they g.. to earth, but 
must fix a ti...e when they shall .eturn. This 'persona 



engagemct " (gbetsi) follows the livi.i- ... 
hi... to return 



i.i. a..d constrai.i^ 



to the other world at the ti.ne prt)... 



iscd. I f 



he is not willh.g to fulfil his promise 



he beconies ill and dies. 



Man bri. gs with hi... to the world a h.i.shed, unk..ow.i, ami 
uuehangeable character. His actions are therefore juat.hc. 



:*ti I 






r 



108 THK LIVIN(J FORCES OF THE COSPEL 

by l.i« inb<,rn cl.aracter. The Ewe arc wont to say every 
man ha8 \m own character. The ba.l n.an is excused. The 
go^ls have deniea hin» the -ood ; or, that is just my nature 
obtained from the home of souk 

This wide-spread fataUsm, found als.. in the heathenism 

of Christendon., destroys th^ idea «.f ( J.hI. It is impossible 

that a purer concept should in course of time l)e developed 

from a heathenism determined by fatalism, for fatalism can 

, have nothiiif,' but a destructive influence on religion. 

The animistic heathen are, in point of fact, uOeo,, without 
God, not in the sense of the fool who says there is no l.od ; 
not even in the sense of the evil-.h.er who, to sin undisturbed, 
has a-'ainst the witness of his conscience, burned the thought 
of IkA i)ut of his soul. They have lost (iod and are air,,\\o- 
rp.a,MeVo. t^. ^o,^. to.' O.oC, (Eph. iv. 18). Between them 
and Him there has grown up a thick primeval fore8t,!through 
which they can no longer fnul their way, and which they 
have no power to root up. But if, notwithstanding this 
estrangement, there is still buried av ay in their hearts a dim 
sense of the I'ower who ruleth over all, then the glad message 
of the living Uod may hope to find a responsive echo m 
, heathenism. The small, languishing plant of their g..d-lore is 
I incapable of development ; but the emptied name of (Jod may 
I be filled with a contents which heathenism can never give. 
Another thing we must take note of in order to understand 
the full depth of heathendom's estrangement from God is its 
subjection to the dominion of devilish powers. The animistic 
heathen are not only in error, they arc slaves. They are 
bound by three fetters— fear, demon worship, and fate, b ear, 
;.. various forms, tyrannises over the Aiiimist in every 
Mition of life. The vision of the world in which his 
rel...ou8ness is rooted is extremely dark. Even his own 
sold is a hostile power against which he must ever be on his 
guard. It is fond of leaving him ; it allows itself to be 
enticed away from him ; it refuses to accept benefits for 
him. She who is about to become a mother is rendered 
miserable by fear. Her mother joy is embittered by fear of 






FKATITIIES OF ANIMISTIC IIKATHENISM 109 

her own soul und of the soul of her ihiUl. aa well an of 
envious spirits. The souls of relatives are easily wounded, 
and woe to hini who even unintentionally (.ffends them. 
Primitive man has to wind his way amid the throng of the 
souls of the people arou:id him, and must continually barRam 
or fight with invisible an«l sinister powers. Tin- farmer is 
„ot only worried about the irrowth of his en.ps and the state 
of the weather, he has not only > guard his lieUls nga.nst 
high water, or defend them against rats, destruetive iH-etlcs. 
and Hocks of thievish birds ; he is helpless also aganist the 
Houl of the rice, whose moods determine whether the fruits 
produced by his laborious eflForts shall contain nourishing 
power or not. It is n»)t ditticult to tight or circumvent a 
visible enemy, but who can defeiul himself a-ainst the 
incalculable soul ? Animism seems devi sed for th^ uurpoafc 
of tormenting men, and hindering them fnun enioyin gjde. 

To that must l)J"7idded fear of the dead, of .lemons, of the 
thousand spirits of earth, air, water, mountains, ami trees 
The Battak is like a man driven in a frenzied pumiit round 
and round. (Jhosts ..f the most diverse kinds lurk in house 
and village ; in the field they endanger the produce of labour ; 
in the f.>rcst thev tcrrifv the wo.xlcutter ; in the bush they 
hunt the wanclo^er. From them come diseases, madness 
death of cattle, and lamii.c. Malicious .lemons surr.)und 
women during pregnancy an.l at confinement ; they lie in 
wait for the child from the day of its birth ; they swarni 
round the h.mses at night ; they sj.y thnmgh the chinks of 
the walls for their helpless victims. Cigantic spirits stride 
through the villages scattering ej.i.lemics an.un.l them ; they 
lurk in the sea and rivers with the view ..f dragging trave lers 
into the depths. They are not laughing fauns or ni.»cking 
satyrs but merciless messengers of .leatli, enemies sw.. len 
with e; vy, who w.nild fain hurl the living into the king.l.mi 
of the .lea.l. The .lea.l fricn.l and br..ther becmes an enemy, 
and his coftin and grave are the ab.)de ..f terrors. It is 
fear that occasions the worship of the .leparted, ami the 
observance of their m..urning usages in its smallest .letails ; 
fear dictates that lu»st of prohibitions which surrounds every 



■I' 



^t>i> 



',iMv 






no TUF, I.IVlNfi FonCKS OF TOF. (iOSPFX 
movement of Ihcir ,Wl.v life. Fe»r i. the raovta,. pn-er "f 

.o.r more frequently than trust. The spiritn and their 
;^ SLerarr b^^^^^^ alike, .elf-scekin,. The lower a« a 
^ le r m..re won^hippcl than the higher, the local n.ore 
t In^ tie at a .li«ta«ee, the particular n.ore than the com- 
nin Their rewaras and punislnnentn, if th.s pon.t of v.ew 
™il« are not n.easured by the good or bad acts o men u. 
S c r oeia life, but only by the sacrilice« and g,ft« wh.ch are 
o^red o withhchl fronahen..- "The religions of unc.vd.Bod 
Ses are not exclusively, but they are ch.eHy, a worship of 
em ns. Bein,s are worshipped who, even .n the conse.ouH^ 
e of the people then.selves, are not regarded a the 
I he t • beings inferior to God, but nearer to man and win. 
eln So hin. harm. They have their abode here and there m 
urronnding nature: they may also be sp.nts of dead men 
The elrofden.ons is very plainly exhibited an,ong the Kos : 
"While a surprising amount of knowledge of God .« revealed 
in t e Phraseologv of social and .lomestic life, and w nle 
many things attest a childlike, sincere, noble, and ree 
Sous sense, yet their religious usages are so perverted 
un piritual, and^oppose.1 t.> all true rel.«K>n,tha they can 

be Lcrited by no other mune ^'^'^^^^l^^'^l^^^ '^e 
or ordinary self-interest, is the cause of al that takes p ace 
One re vllj eo.ncs to see that fear of sinister supernatural 
K,^eL s the essence and central force of heathenism, together 
with the belief that goo,l and evil powe.. can be made 
fiivmrable a..d subn.issive by means ot mag.c and of 
sSce - "The superstition of the Kols, and the.r fear 
:fdem;ns, are shown in their belief JIhU almost every 
...nuntain river, pond, r..a<l, or village has an cmI liong. 
"^Xi^) Jo se;ks to inHict all kinds of injury, and 



I Titlf, " Koni]H'niliuiii." ]<■ '^'i- 

ip. Wunii, •' Haiulbudi d.M Kelij^ioiisf; 

Mi-llinghaus, " Die Kol8,' p. 33 f. 



iliii'lite, " V- **'• 



FEATURKS OF ANIMISTIC IIKATIIKNISM lU 

who t..rmcntH people throuRl. their Rrc.it eaKorncHK for 
offcrinB8." The KoIh, natumlly ko cheerful an.l jovouh, 
..ften get a dark, desperate look under the h„rdei. of their 
sacrifices to demonH, and. in their desperation, take to dnnk. 
The whole life of the Kol« is interwoven with fear of evil 
Bpirits. They feel themselves threatened by them every- 
where, for their number is le-ion. Fear of tne B..nKas 
deprives them of all conrajre, and cripples their power. I he 
life <»f the inhabitants of Nias is .U.minated by fear of ti.e 
spirits of their ance«t<.rs. The Dayaks of Honu'o are im- 
pelled, by fear, to worship evil spirits (saiiiaiifr. Uantu). and 
Ire af;aid of the spirits of the ,lead. The Mcntawey Islanden^ 
are afraid of the Sianitu, evil demons, wh.. are apiH'x-ed by 
sacrifices. The Alfunis on Celebes are afrai.l of evd spirits, 
especially the spirits of the dead. The Sninbaiuse are com- 
.leteW dominaled by the same fear. The I'apuans worship 
Lncesiors, and also dreaded spirits, ol" whom ti"' ""-^-r js 
very «reat. The Karens in further Imlia, and the inhabitants 
of the Bismarck Archipelago, are .lominated by the same fear 
of spirits. Amons the Hindus also the power ol beatheii.s i 
Ss not only i^ the spirit of caste, but also m this elid 
in sorcery, spells, male.lictions, an.l .lisei.chantments by tin 
directions of the brahminical books. 

Fear also rules in the reli.noi.s .d Afnca. whose spi, t 
worship is closely related to Indonesian Animism. In \\est 
Xta all diseases are traced back to evil spirits, ol wh.un 
the world is full. The worship of the Kwe is ij.ven o the 
Hpirits, and is deterinine.1 ..y fear, as the spin s have alwajs 
:^ulsigns against men. Warm says that the S<mdan am 
Bantu nej,'roes practise the same demon w..rsln . I hc^ m t 
thev fear ancestors an,l the Losanjro, the evi sp. its, the 
esTthey fear dod. From these ancestors and evil spirits 
'onies -iH evil. The Dinka (in Soudan) live in constant lear 
7Z ;!oi^ til spirits, who are sup,.>sed to d..ll in tr^s ... 
the iu.i,de, an,l other ,.laccs. The Ileren. believe that cmI 
slits hae the frovernment ..f this earth. Thus, m every 
S^t :: and ,li;^ress, the Hercr.. are alVai.l ..f the dan.c,..s 
illluHMice of their ancestors, and have an e.u.rmous number 



4 

■^1 



112 TIIK I.IVIXiJ FonCRS OK THK (SOSPKL 



! ! 



of wicrifii'cs, whoMC noIe motive \n the fenr of spirits. The 
HHcriticcH at birth, cirfUinci«ioii, and coiifineineiit owe their 
oriji^in and their ci)ntinuance t«) this fear. The saeritieial 
cult, nay, the whole reHniouH views and nsapes of tiie llerero 
are only too elmiuent a testiniony to the fact that of them, as 
of all heathen, the words «>f the Apostle liohl yood, that they 
are ail their life-time in bondajje thronyh the feiir of death. 
Besides the ancestors they are afraid of other dead folks, 
liideous evil spirits, and in every illness they see sonie 
enehantmcnt. The Wai^anda are afraid of evil spirits who 
<M-eupy the centnil place in their relij^ious life, spirits of 
nature ( Liilmre), and si-irits of ancestors (Mulimu* Hence 
the Wajranda are in the hi<;]iest dejjree superstin. iis, even 
the enlip;htened Kahaka Mtesa Iteinj,' no exception to this 
nde. Hosier, the niissionarj', has devoted an essay to " fear 
in the life of the Shambala," in which he shows that the 
religions life oi' the Shambala is entirely determined by fear.' 
AlM)ve all they are afrai<l of the envious, malici«ms dead. 
" For he (the ancestor si)irit) is grt't'dy, and takes a pleasure 
in hurtinit men, visitinj^ them and tlieir cattle with all manner 
of disease, with locusts and small-pox, and in brin<iiii<r 
misfortune on tlie land." That is how matters stand among 
all Bantu tribes. We read of tl<e Kamba, " The intlucnce 
which they (th«! dead) exercised when in the body continut's. 
nay, it seems as if the power of the dead over the life of his 
descendants is greater than when he lived, and it is greater 
there the greater it was here upon earth. The nuiin point is 
that the spirits are jealously determined not to be overlooked. 
They demand their share of all that is going, especially in 
joyous events, else tlu'y will bring misfortune on their descend- 
ants." The Bush negroes of Suriname are enslaved by fear 
and worship of the s|>irits of the deitarted (.lorkas). 

It is a dismal picture that is unrolled before our eyes, 
every heathen a slave of i'ear, with no joy in life, but 
bondage everywhere. Hut fear reigns beyonil the bounds of 

'Tiittelvitz siijs dm lliis siilijpit : " Aniniij,' llic Sli.inibiilii, as aiiioii},' the 
Haiitu iwoi)lis. ffar if t'l- ileail. airi n|ilR;itli. is tlw diaractoiistii' mark ol 
their r''!i.s;i"ii." 






KKATIHKS OK ANIMISTK' IIKATIIKNISM 1 i;i 

the l(»w iiiiiiiii!«tir roliiiions. The (li'<'|K'r n<li<:ious Hiu'inla- 
tioiif* of tlie civiliHod pfoph-s uf Awia huvc failoil to ilrive 
awuy this spivtre. A hijihiv odiicntiMl llimlii. a Tamul 
interpreter of tin* Kiirnl, <lepict« the feeiiii^js that stize him 
who approaehes an i<hil. lli.H liair stands nji thnnii,'h IVar ; 
tears How from his eyes, and iii.s IhmIv treniiiies. Karnest 
Taniula assure us tliat they tlieniselves have experienced tiiis 
dread. 

Nitsehkowsivy says that tlie ancestor worship of the 
Chinese is inspireil l»y fear, not by piety, fear of the veii- 
};eanee of the ancestors. The rulers of the other worhl are 
the demons, and the dead are their captives. Like tlic 
prisoners «)f this worhl the>e must be supported by their 
friends. The necessity for ancestor worship is basetl on tliis 
foundation. 

At the 1,'eneral conference of missionaries at Shanjihai, 
I). Faber advanced this thesis. Ancestor worship pre- 
supposes that the happiness of t!ie dead is deiiendcnt on tlic 
oHerinjis of tiieir livin<? descendants, and that ail those 
de|)arted souls who are not provitU'd with oftei!n!,'s become 
huiit,'ry spirits, who cause all kinds of misfortune to the 
livinj;. Ancestor worship is not a mere rcmemi»rance of the 
departed, but an intentional intercourse with the spirit 
worhl, with the powers (tf iladcs and of darkness. it 
undermines belief in a ri'^hteoiis retribution of «lod in the 
future, and excites the animal nature of man. as also seltish- 
ncss and fear, more than the nobler emotions of love.' 

The fact that liuddiiism has failed to root out this fear 
and ancestor worship from amon<,' its adherents, shows how 
decjily its roots have struck into the heart of those heathen 
who worship demons and si)irits. Huchlhist monks help to 
expel the evil spirits, and, in their ch)istcrs, rei^isters of 
ancestors arc exhibited to wiiom <,'ifts are to be otteicd. It 



' Till' root of till' filial Jiiety which is iirsctisnil hy the Cliinesi' iinist he a 
mixture uf the two nii.^lilie^t in. .lives ot the hiiiiiaii s..til, (ear aii.l ■^ell l..vr. 
The spirits iiiusl he hoii..urcil, hecausi: of their |..Aver to injure. If the 
oir;;riiij;H are nej^lected the spirit in eiiraf,'eil, ami iiicilitates revenge. Henec 
it is safer to worshiii the si.irits. 
il 



114 TIIK LIVIN(; KOHCI-iS OK TIIK (JOSPKL 



•fcji 



V^ 



JH not rt-ally IliuliUiiHni tliiit iiiovch tliu lii-urt of tin- simple 
Siiifjalosi", hut lii« old worslii|i of imturi' ami of (k'liioim. 
Hiitldhihin lin« <loiu' iiotliiiii; tt» roinovt' tlicne ; ratluT, by it« 
iiiytliolo^ital I'lniieiits, it hnn fiiriiiNliod all kiiulH of liol|m to 
|ire»orvi' tliciii. The |»»'o|ile of Ceylon have from the earlieMt 
times helieveil in the aetivity of all kintlH of ilemonH (wanne), 
who are re-spoiisihle for every miHfortiiiie, every ease of «iek- 
nef*H, every danyieronK phenomenon. This helief in denionK 
In, to this hour, tin- imly relii^iouK power which the people 
really fuel. U has niiitoi itself with lliiulu notions uh well 
a« with ideas and forms from Umhihism. Hut these two 
religions have only been the mean^ of introduein<{ new ehisseH 
of demons, of inventin<r new instruments of expulHion, ami 
providing new mii<;ieal formulas. It is the «)ld fear of 
nature, the old belief in spirits, that really dominates the 
ordinary man. In Hurmali also, where Bud<lhism has struck 
its roots deeper into the life of the people, it luis failed to 
become the dominant relij^ious force. On the contrary, the 
fore^^nmnd is occupied by the worship of the Nat,' perstmifi- 
cations of natural forces, and of the spirits of the dead. They 
dwell in ijloomy places, and are ^e^y danjicroiis lo men. 
Their worship is the real reliffion which steadfastly encases 
the heart of the overwhelminjj majority of the liurmese 
people. Kven the Hu(hlhist monks en<ia<je in this worship 
of spirits. The same picture is descriptive of the Siamese. 
The liu<ldhism of Thibet also (Lamaism) fears a nndtitude 
of nature deities, demons and spectres. The desire to save 
the soul from Hell ami lead it to paradise is one jf the 
f^reat levers of Lamaistic piety, iniother still more ettective 
lever is the fear of evil spirits. The dread of tla'ijierous 
and awful demons exists to a most unusual deforce. Sacri- 
tiees are ofl'ered to sinister demons after sunset. The 
monks exorcise the sjtirits. 

Mohammedaiiism also, in Northern Imlia, has been unable 
to i^Muove the fear of evii spirits. On the contrary, it assists 

' TliP Nat, 111- Nats, aieenibodiiiioiits of natural forces, f^ood, and espeoially 
evil, spirits to lie [Toiiitiated. See Monior Williams, " Buddhism," iip. 255, 
259, 217. 



FKATIUKS OF ANIMISTIC IIKATIIKMSM n:> 

in tlif t'X|>iil«i»>ii of tlif HpiritH by iU« iiialiitm.' It alloWH the 
inHiplf to (TO «)n worHliippiiiu iim-rrtti ir>«, ami (tiltU iu>w H|iiritH 
of Anibk- ori'^iii to IIiom- alrcaily wursliipiKMl, IhIhim iio- 
wlierc a|tpfiirH aiiioii}^ AiiiiniHtH an a ik-livertT. 

Tor UH who know that wv arc wifr in (mkIi* haniix, it iH 
ini|ii>,HHil)U' to inla^inl< what u tlrnuU'iil powt-r tlii.i fear Ik in 
the life of tlie lieatlit-n. There we nee reveuietl the kernel of 
rc'iil heathenism, an«l all its theoioj^y an<l Inytllolo^y arc l»ut 
the nhell enelosinfj it. With tiiiH fetter every Aniini-st is 
luHinil. The ineeHmint fear of (lemons, and of their evil 
plotn, anil of the sorcery elosoly eonneeteil with their worship, 
ity which those people are tormente«l, passes our conceivin){. 
Alienati(»n from (Io»l, who alone is to he feared, is the 
ultinukte basis of this irrational tear. Heathenism has lost 
(Jo«l, and, conse(|uenliy, has Inien Riven up to the fear of 
spectres, whose power is real just in proportion to the 
rstranj^ement from (Jod. 

The fear of spirits is intensified by the authority of >■ iestH 
and nuin'^'i'i"*'' *'•" "f*' >*»PP*"**^'^ *^" cultivate fellowship 
with the spirits, an*l to have power over them. The mai,'ician 
tyrannises over the I'attak. Whatever he denninds must be 
paid, whatever he arranj^es must be carried out. For he 
knows how to injure or strcnijilien the souls of the livinj;, by 
restraininjj or lettinj; loose the spirits. lie is a man fireatb' 
dreaded anu)n<j; mtmt peoples of the Archipelago. The sway 
of the maj^ician in Africa is still more |>ernicious. Whomso- 
ever they accuse of witchcraft is condemned to death. 
They work in secret with a frij^htful venom, and no one is 
safe from them. 

The heathen world furnishes an example of how surely fear 
debases men. Men of fearless character arc mostly luible- 
minded ; the fearful arc cruel. Surrounded by fell powers 
of destruction, the animistic heathen grow distrustful and 
cruel. Fear ix>!sons every social relationship, distrust Ihj- 
conies a second nature to the harassed. The poor fear the 

' The nulims arc tlic lowest order of MohaiiiniRdaii tcai'hcrs. Their 
intelligence is not great, but they have great intluenuo with the people, 
and are zealouii minsionarifK of I.slani. 



'iHr^ 



•f-l. 



11«} TIIK MVINC FOUCKS OF TIIK (JOSPFL 

rich, the weak tlie strong, the sick the healthy, for eaeh 
knows that the otlior is trying to enrich his own soul power 
at the expense of his fellow, liut those whom no one needs 
to fear are mercilessly trodden under foot. In Nias, Celebes, 
Jiorneo. the lands of the head-snatcher, no one knows 
whether by evening he will still have his head iipon his 
shouhlers. ' At the «leath of a chief hundreds trend)le for 
their lives, for the prince caiuutt be buried without human 
sacritices. Anu)ng animistic peoples every case of sickness 
and of death leads to the magician's search for the unfortunate 
being who is supposed to have bewitched the atllictcd.' 
What an immense amount of fear is involved in witchcraft, 
head-snatching, human sacritice, burial ceremonies, and 
kindred nimistic abominations. Crnelty is everywhere one 
of the fruits of Animism ; from tliat fruit we can infer the 
nature of the tree. How sweetly must sound the words 
peace and rest on the ears of these poor souls in bondage, for 
in animistic heathendom there is no such thing as security or 

peace. 

I To the heathen these demons whom they fear are realities. 
(Jod has become an abstraction, but they have personal con- 
tact with the demons. It is worth noting what Stosch says 
about the Hindu who denies all reality. "One of the most 
wonderful things on an earth so full of wonders is, that 
aujong a people who, educated and uneducated alike, doubt 
the reality of all things, lu) one doubts the reality of evil 
IMJWers." - Questioned about (iod and divine things, Animists 
will always admit that they know nothing definite about 
them, but if asked whether evil spirits really exist, they will 
unhesitatingly answer yes, surprised that such a strange 
(piestion should be put. If they were not so firndy convinced 
of the existence and jiower of the demons, they would not be 
so sorely tormented fear of the spirits. Such fear is not 
to be trifled with, liattaks who become Christian have no 
doubt of the reality of th(> demons. They explain the matter 
n this way. Heathenism teaches us the power of the spirits. 

' Tliis is iloiic in Miutawey and in many regions ol' Aliica. 
■^ Stost'li, •■ Im leinin ludicu," p. 2H. 






FKATIRKS OF ANIMISTIC IIKATIIKNISM 117 

The devil is tlio pemmiiieiitioii of the power opposed to 
(Jo«l ; it was he who deceived our forefathers and persuaded 
them to idohitry. In worshippin-j the si)irits we were 
i<,nioraiitly worshipitinuc Siitaii and his servants. The «levd, 
a"s the personal head of the spirit work! that is at enmity 
with (iod. became poi)uIar amonj,' the Hattak people in a 
surprisiiijily short time. Heathen relijiion does not know 
him, but lie has been intelli.uently ai)propriate«l, not oidy by 
Christians on whom missionaries have forced this "dark 
illusion," and by heathen who have come into contact with 
^Christianity, but by heathen who are far beyond the horizon 
of evanijelistic missi«)n work. Heathen Christians find in him 
the explanation i.f the jireat blindness of their former state. 
A liattak teacher, writini; on the sid).iect, says : The devd 
is just what we tonnerly called beijn. He has overreached 
the liattak nation, and compelled it to obey him, that so he 
mijjht .Ira}; others to ruin with him. The spirit media nuist 
in 'some sort have been the instruments throu«;h whom he 
expressed his wishes. For people who were naturally «lull 
and stupiil could, as nu'dia, speak clearly and cleverly. It 
was he wlu. tau<,'ht th« maijicians their arts, and enabled them 
to elVeit thinf;s marvellous and inexplicable. The Niassers 
who have been converted to Christianity <-all their heathen 
relii,Moii "the way of the devi!."' and the Kols do very much 
the"same.- A liattak teacher expresses his opinion of the 
activity of the maj^ician as follows: "The datu knew how 
to recover stolen sjoods, and sometimes how to Hud the thief. 
They were able to brin«i sickness on a man by dijriiinjj; up his 
footprints. There were mairicians who called forth serpents 
and set them aj^aiiist their enemies. When I think u]»on 
their arts I will not venture to say that it was all mere 
human l)un«rlini,'. There nuist have been some one who 
tiiu|,'ht them, and that one was the devil." 

It is sjijrj^estive to find that the .jutl-tm ent. of heathen 
Christians _ tMJav_jA<r,,M.s with that of. tin ; tiarlv C l m nii^ 
lit.tli luul-T^qiericMiced tht^ mii^ht of heatlMMi rclii,'ion in thcu- 

' SuiKlcniiann. •' Ni«s," \>. 17-!. lifi. 
■-' .lelliiifiliaiis. " I'i'' Knls," ).. 17'_'. 



I- 



118 THE LIVING FORCES OF THE GOSPETi 

own bodies, and both saw in it the operation of spiritual 
powers of a Satanic kind. Tert)illian, Justin, Tatian, Cyiman 
arc convinced that behind the idols of tlic heathen clie demons 
are at work, and that these demons are a power in the life of 
the individual as well as in the life of society. They persuade 
men to believe in the heathen <j;ods. Tertullian describes 
their pernicious workings. They destroy men ; they bring 
uf)on them diseases and convulsions of soul ; they ruin the 
fruits of the Held ; they lead men to ])oiythei8m. Because 
they are swift in their movements, they are able to foretell 
many things that will hap]>en, and to send dreams, " Every- 
where it is re{j;ardcd as the chief contrivance of their 
wickedness that they introducetl jxilytheism, that is, caused 
themselves to be worshipped under the imaf^es of dead idols, 
antl turned to tlieir own advantaj;;i the sacritices whose 
vapour they relish." ' Hence idolatry is the supreme sin and 
the source of all others,'- a statement which is undoubtedly 
correct, inasmuch as every intellectual aiul moral error of the 
heathen has its basis in relijjious error. One of the main 
evidences of the truth and power of Christianity was the 
casting? out of devils in the name of .(esus, which the C'hristian 
apologists turned to account as a convincing proof of the 
truth of tlieir faith.^ It was believed then, as it is believed 
in heatheiubmi to-day, that wherever Christians make their 
appearance the strength of the Satanic powers is broken. 
We shall speak of this further on. Here it is suttieient to 
say that the Christians of the first days, like the heathen 
Christians in the mission fields of to-day, though they knew 
that they themselves were free from those infiuences, nay 
were able to mock and challenge the devil, took a very 
serious view of idolatry. They knew its sinister power was 
soujething real. They did not believe that heathenism could 
be considered merely a lower stage of tiie knowledge of Cod 
which (mly needed to be further .leveloped. On the contrary 

' Haniaok, "Tlie Mission ami K\i>aiisioii ol Cliristianity," ^iid fd., vol. i., 
p. 138, note 1. 
- llarnack. I.e., ]i. 2^2, note -'. 
' Haiuauk, I.e.. ]^. 139. 



FKATl'RKS OF ANIMISTIC IIKATIIKNISM 119 



m 



they viewed it as opposition uiul enmity to (Jotl, a bundajjc 
to devilish i)o\vors endowi'd with a power of niisf];uidanee, 
lyin<?, and seduction. '''lie testimony (»f those who have 
renouiKod heathenism, and who know its power from ex- 
perienie, desei-vcs, at least, as muih attention as the tlieories 
of philosophies of relii^ion. 

The jndjiment of heathen Christians, in the old world as in 
the new, eontinns the statements of the Hihie about the power 
of Satan, to whom (iod has assi<:ned a jilaee in His plan of 
the world, and fjranted a certain liovernment of tiiis u-on. 
.lesus calls him the prince of this world.' Paul calls him 
«'. Oeiii; Toi' (iltriiK toi'toi/.- Dominion over evil spirits is part 
ot the Divine lej^ilimation of the Son. To destroy the works 
of Satan, vi/.., the estran<,'ement of man from (iod. which he 
has systematically promoted, is the work of the Son of (Iod 
( 1 John iii. H). The threat missionary to the heathen, sitcakin*!; 
from his own experience, calls the powers of heatiicnism 
that are at work behind the scenes upxni f^oia/rti, to) 

KOafJiOKpHTOpf',' TOI' fTKorOt'li TOI'TOI', TTlU'/tUTf/f 1 1 Tl/V Tdl'VpOIV 

ev To/s- fiovp<iviot<; (Kph. vi. I'i), principalities, powers, the 
world rulers of this darkness, supernatiual powers who 
svstematicallv (jrifanise wickedness and direct it to one end. 
I'aul calls the ruler of heathenism toi- («/>x<>i'T(« t»js' tfova-im 
Tov I'lepov, Tiw 7ri'ei'M"T()<r toi" irr nepyiii'iTos- n' tok cio/s' 
T»;v HTTfiOeliK, the jirince of the power of the air, the sjtirit 
that now worketh in the sons of disobedience, lie inspires 
the s})irit of dis<»bedicnce towards (Iod, which has beconu! a 
worhl power in heathenism.' Hut that does not imply any 
dualism, for their mysterious power is transmitted to the 
ilemons by (iod. (Iod sends fvtpynd 7r\(ii'»/s,' which con- 
strains men to believe a lie. .lesus has divested the princi- 
palities of their authority, and made an open show of the 
former rulers (Col. ii. l.">). Their dominion couM only endure 
so lontf as (ioil, in His pi:in of the world, had determined, 
viz., till His Sou should l>nii<,' their misleadiu;^ power to an 
end. Paul says that tin t^ods whom the heathen worshij) 

' .lohii xii. 31 ; xvi. U ; </. ''"kf i^'- ''• 
' E|)h. ii. •^. 



- U t'lir. iv. 4. 
*-J. TlifSM. ii. 11. 



120 TIIK r.IVI\(; FOUCKS OK TIIK fJOSPKL 



, are nothinj; : tliey liave no exintonco, and the heaven Avhicli 
thcv |)oi»iilato iiuH no existciic'O, orrtVI? Oew e! fiij tTv : or(5«' 
eiottiXiti fi Ki'trTfit<\'^ There are Xtyonnoi f>eot in lieaven and 
on cartli, wliich are tlie fjods injasjincd h_v heatlien fancy. In 
the minds of their worsiiipiH-rs there are Ofo] ttoWoI and 
Ki'pioi TToXAo/,- hut they are reaHties only to those who 
Itelieve in them. Paul calls them also oi' ^'>iW( ft>i uirev 
f^fo/,-' those who by nature are not pnls, because products of 
the human mind. Hnt liehind the Xcyofinot (^un stand the 
<)(«(,H()'n((.' to whom, without knowinjj it, the heathen offer 
sacrifice, and not to the t!<w\,i. By their sacrifices to heathen 
•rods, the iicathen have essentially the same fellowship with 
demons as the Christian has with Christ through takintj part 
in the Lords Supper.'^ The <,'ods of heathen fancy become 
powcrfid entities throuirh the demons, who turn idolatry to 
their (nvii advantage, and under this disjjuise deceive and 
enslave the heatiicri. This estimate of heathenism, which is 
obvious to all heathen Christians, comes from the irreatest 
heathen missionary of all times, one who indulijed in no idle 
speculations, but f'omid himself compelled to deal with 
powers whose actual o])position was as sensibly felt as it was 
mysterious. He saw in heathenism forces opposed to Cod, 
a power from l)cneath. And any mission worker who does 
n(»t sullicicntly appreciate tlh.^ jxiwcr in heathenism will 
underestimate his opponent. 

However that may be, whether heathenism is inspired by 
devilish personalities, or whether we are satisfied with purely 
human explanations, the enslavement of animistic heathendom 
under the power of the Satanic is undoubtedly real. To fear 
and the yoke of spirit worshij) nuist be athled a third iron 
fetter, fatalism. Subjection to an inuiiutable fate may seen), 
to the superficial observer, to have somethini,' consolinj; for 
the enslaved, to be a beneficent narcotic. In jM.int of fact it 
is astonishinu: how soon the Animist uets iner the loss of a 
member of the family : '• It cannot be helped, it was so deter- 
mined," and with that the matter is ended. Hut there can 



' 1 Cor. viii. 4 ; 
■* 1 Cor. x. 'JO. 



1!1. 



-' 1 Co.. viii. r>. 
'- 1 Cor. J. 21. 



■iin]. 



FKATl'HKS OF ANIMISTIC IIKATIIKNISM 121 

be no UidUiiht of real comfort in that. Fatalism lias sonii-- 
thinfj (lial)olic in it. It i-liminatrs (Jod from tiic world, and 
negates man's will, tliat in wliicii lie nseiiililes (iod. It kills 
man's nobler nature, and de«rrades liiiii to a pieee of meeliaiiism. 
Ileatlienism * mj^ed with fatalism is not a relii;ion of free 
moral men, hut a poisoned hereditary (heoiv of life of 
burdened will-less ereatiires. Determiuists have no enert^y ; 
what is the goo*! of overworkiiij: oneself ^ Sneeess and rielies 
will fall into the bosom of the man for whom they are pre- 
ordained without any elVort on his part, and if they have not 
been allotted to him he eaniiot eonipel them. Tlins prayers, 
retleetioii. and volition are killed. Moral will is ilestroyed. 
for eaeh man trets his disposition, with its tide of ^'ood and 
evil deeds, at his liirth. The soil wherein the hniiiaii eoii- 
seienee grows is taken away. Men have no responsibility ; 
they never aet freely, but always by eoiistraint. This belief 
lies like a dark eui-se on the life of the soul, making' it stupid, 
imlittereiit. and immoral. Hut, above all, this world of ideas 
is thrust between man and his (Jod, and makes (iod abogether 
superlluous. All forms of aiiimistie heathenism are <leter 
mined by fatalism,* as if one hand had iiit«'iitioiially sown 
this tare on the difl'ereiit lields. 

The powers that enslave the heathen rob them of the 
eaj>iu-ity of self-determination. I'.nrn in slavish dependeiiee 
up<m fear, demons and fate, the heathen is incapable of 
refleeting on his eajitivity. lie is lioiind in his -eligioiis 
thought, and his ]»ower of judgment is erijipled by ideas 
of constraint. I'ersonal deeision is taken from him : he has 
only to obserre the trnlitio: emoiiies of the national 

religion. The very will for 1 is liound, ji • is we see 

iu slaves whose desire for freei uii is dead, notwiilistandiiig 
their misery. The average heathen (;>iid in the eommuiiistic 
character of aiiimistie heathendom cxteplions to the average 
are more rare than among civilised nations), does not retleet on 
the chain- which cut into his llesh, and the longing for deliver 

' Fatalism socuis tu \»- :\\\ i'<<-.oiitial coiistitiii'iit ol hiMtln'iiisiii I'ViTvwIiere 
(i7'. the Moiriiottli<'Or''rk>*). Sr.llirifnt traces < if it iii.iy !"■ f'Hiinl in <'|iri-li;iii 
KuroiH' aniont; eihwali'ii miuI iiiircliicati'il, so tar as tlifv srr >sti.»ii^r,.,l |i,,i|, 
Got. 



^H" 



mtm 



II '» 



i. 



122 TIIK LIVIWJ KORfKS OF TFIK (JOSPEL 

ancc from i.ard oj-proasion remains for tlie moat part below 
t le threshold of consciousness. The ionfrinj, for freedon., like 
the lonfjinj? for ( J,.d, exists in him as a r.ulimontarv thinf., but 
they are both shut up as in u capsule, waitin- for a resurrection. 
A heathendom so bound ins n„ inherent lu.wer of self- 
del.verance. Hut it sij^hs for reden.ption by son.e higher 
power. Heathendom, just because it is bound, needs and is 
ea,.able of re.ieniption. The -..ilt of the in.lividuals estran-n- 
n.ent from (io,! is lessened by his union with the lari^T 
whole ||,s relati..n to that resembles the share of tl.e 
•nd.v.dual m the sins of the society into which he is born 
Ihe sms of hun.anity in which every man is involved, as 
well as the solidarity of heatlunisn,, which n.akes all its 
a.lhcrents slaves with no will of their own, sl..mhl never be 
.!»•l^'ed apart fn.m the redemption, or they will be felt to be 
supremely harsh and unjust (Jod has prepare.! a reden.ption 
from the r.nnous com.ection. The man who accej.ts this 
re. .ption becon.es free solely throuj^h (.'.hI's rcdeen.inc, act. 
Iho man who , Iocs not recojr„i.sc it is lost, because he will 
not allow himself to be delivered. No one sliouhl speak of 
the seventy and unii-liteousness of the divine government 
who knows the unravell.n- of the twisted knot. The man 
who sees „, Jesus' work redenipth.n from all ruinous con- 
nections can frankly concede the subjection of heathenism. 
II IS an <^^ovaiarov ctkot,,,,,, that can only be ..vercorae by a 
power of the light from above. 

I Animistic heathenism is further presented to the observer 
as the negation of love, as selfishness in its m<,st barefaced 
orm. (.od ,H love, ami where in the wanderings <.f centuries 
..H l.as been lost, love is als,> lost. How unspeakably poor 
H the godless ami loveless heathen world : The idea .^ h,ve 
|s a most obliterated fVom its rch^^^^^^ 

re a .o„ of the gods to men is without love ; so is men's 
relation to them, and, as a .on.se.iuence, there is little love 
u. men« rehitions t.. one another. The only relation in 
which unselhs love is manifeste.1 is that of parents to t^Z 
children, though even there love is deformed in various way 



FKATURKS OF ANIMISTIC IIFATIIKNISM 1J3 



The true parental love wliiili tlesires to Heciirc iiionil l»onefitH 
to the child is perverted into a weuk, Mind imrtiality. The 
animistic notions of the soul iH-ini; easily wouiitled, forbid 
all utteinpts to exercise iin educative influence on the chihl* 
Love is concentriitcd also on the sons who are ex|)eeted 
to offer wi>rsliip to their (tarents after tleath. Love for 
children is seen aujonjj many peoi>les,- j^eneral love is rarely 
met with. In the Indian Archinelai^o parents are honoured 
only after they are dead, heiause then their soids are 
danjijerous. Married love is iliviTted into the sexual reyitm.^ 
The man ])rizes his wife because he expects dcsrondants 
from her, and because in her he has boujjht a vahialtle 
slave. I'olyjjamy, which is conuu'in. makes true married love 
impossible. Tlu-re is scarcely such a thintij as love of friends, 
thoujrrh in proverbs friendshi|) is praised. Neijihboiir love, 
with its practical residts, pity lor the sufferin;;, compassion 
for the sick, consideration for the weak, will be sought in 
vain. The man who, at liis itwn cost, would help another 
in ditticulty or danjier, is lau<ihed at as a fool. The relations 
of men to one another are ruleil by politeness, which is 
rooted, however, not in love but in fear.^ Captives are 
tortured to death with incredible cruelty, nay, with volup- 
tuous joy ; debtors are allowed to rot in prison ; and the 
Hick arc mercilessly left to their misery. No heathen feels 
anythins? like indij^nation when the mi<jhty rob the widow 
of her last copper nnd enslave her children. They gloat 
with pleasure over the tt)rment8 of the oj)pressed. It is a 
self-evitlent privilege of the great to impoverish and oppress 
the humble.^ The heathen laughingly reply to missionaries, 

' Wliiii a iiautjlity child f,'cts it> way the p.in-iits justify tlirtnaeives 
l)y saying : Wh.it can 1 liu, lie wants it ' 

- iSpietli extols tlie sons of the Kwe. who often sliow i;reat Ikiuoiii to their 
mothers ('• Ewe," (i. M). Tlie Jevotiou ol I hiiiesc children is well known. 

' (iloyer says of tne Hindus that uuionn theiu the word love has always an 
unclean nifaninji. 

^ Anv one who has [lowei ijets above all considerations c njoinfd liy (iidite 
ness. A man is polite only to eiiuals or sujieriois. 

'' I shall only mention one dialiuHeal cruelty ot the Hattaks. A poison 
made up of the lin^ hairs of i caterpillar is put iu betel or tobacco and slipped 
into the pouket of au enemy. The hairs tix themvelves lu the throat, and the 



It 



til. 



w 

V 



124 



THK LIVFX(J FOHCKS OF THE OOSPEL 



•ri 



:i;i 



? . 



I:; 

r 






J R .T r T" "? ^"*-' <'•'■• '* '' ^•'""- '■""«*« character) ; 
^^e Battaks ,1„ not know it, an.l arc therefore con,pleteIy 
free from any sense <,f blan.e." You nmj go throuffl. 
.cathenclon, anywhere, in the Indian Archipdago, in is"ew 
<."".ea. m the South Seas, ami in Afriea, ami vo„ Z 
•u.where hn.l humanity, n.ercy, kin.iness and h.ve. ' Selfish 
".- re.,.,s nake.lly everywhere, and self-eon.plaeeney is 
Itoasted of as a virtue.' ««^«"«..y is 

This shan.cless sc-IKshness and lovelessness has its n^.ts 
... H.(« an,nnst,c rehVion. whi.h must he hehl responsible for 
oxroll.n« love and its gracious .-..npanions from its worh^ 

'm::;::::;7rT':"-'^^xxjN^^ The ^.t .. . 

....m.iment o the Anun.st is to preservHiud au-ment his 
..wn soul stuft against any one in heaven or on c;"*!. 

;; e^^rhr ''•"'• it ^^ ^'-^'^ -..i-st..ff«:2wit 

to enrich h s own ,s jrood, heeause profitable; to take the 

said that <io«| is mere fill -ukI ih.,t ii: ... 

• , . ,. , '"i^'i'iui, .111(1 that Ills meicv s nvoked 

' n'Xi'* ha\e an unselfish 

|>oor ,i,ti.M li.iH to cou-li liirnself h, ,|,.n „ .)„ ^ ,■ 

- ... l.e sl.i,, a,„l ,o.,„..|. an,! Z" l„ , , "'' ''"'r "' "" """ ^^■''" 
'•ut oir th.. .,M,i.als ,V,„„ ,,i, „„,„ , '^ ' '"" '"-^ ">•;■''• J" «'"""«ir a chief 
"it'' 1--^ "if,, and l..f, ,,„, toiZi ", .lir "'''"" '" '""' *^"" ""*'"'"'^'' 

individual .„. ,., ,,eto„ :J.Z!n^,r'T" "' ""' "''"'■ "'»'' ^'""^ ''"■ 
vanity and and,i„„n, l,„t as laziness o, 'the ."'t of ?■'""",'" """"^ ""* ""'^' ■"' 
(Mercnsky). "' ''"' "* '"'" "'"' >s «<.rki.,,r fur himself 



FKATrUF>; OK ANIMISTIC IIKATIIKNISM \2:> 



love for iiicu iw one 



tlmt w iiowlioro fuuml in animistic 



heatlicndoni, and no lieatliiMi over diianis tliat man oan love 
(Jo«l. At k'st, tlio no«ls wlio liavi- n«i intori-st in tin- 
inhabitantH »>f oartli leave tliem t«> ^o their own way 
untlistnrbed. The lower tleitiew, with whom men have 
mnch more to do, are eoneeived to he as selfish as their 
worshipiters. Men are religious in their own interest, and 
out of fear. Hut fear and love are mutually exeiusive. 
Wherever religion is determined by fear, love and humanity 
are excluded, for fear brutalises. I luoncealed selfishness, 
therefore, expresses the essence of aaimistic reli-,'ion. 
Humanity is an idea which cannot be implanted in this 
heathenism : it would cast it out a<,'ain. The ideas of the 
love of (lod and man can no more be developed from this 
heathenism than sweet <irapes coidd be made in course of 
time to sprinj? from a blackthorn tree. It cannot even 
be engrafted; the old tree nuist be uprooted and a new 
one planted. 

Animistic heathenism is a struggle for existcjice sanctione«i 
by religiou, a struggle of living souls and their owners with 
one another, a struggle^ t^l the Tivniij with spTiM[ls7 a struggle 
of spirits and deities with the inhabitants of earth ; a distor^ 
t' jn ()f men's rcTation to one^ another and to the deitic^ a. 
relation determined by envy, hatred, and loveless ness. I'his 
recIiTess struggle u continued in the worTd Heyond. Will 
the gift of the < !i)spel find an entrance into benighted hearts 
thus weaned from love i 

Closely connected with this hnelchs selfishnesjs of animistic 
heathenism is another characteristic defect, viz., its perver- 
sion of morality, the moral error and coarseness that almost 
everywhere belongs to it. We <lo not niean to say that 
there are no virtues in heathendom. Certain national 
virtues may be found among dificrcnt jjcoples. The position 
of wonmn in the Indian Archipelago is by no means so low- 
as might be supposeil from the general custom of purchasing 
wives and the prevalence of polygamy. The inatriarchate 
which secures fur woman a position of influence exists on 



fW^iPiipP 



'l! 



•t' 



If, 



12fi TIIK LIVINC KORCKS OK TI!K <J(>SI'KL 

maiiv islainls. as, for exiinipl*', on MiiiiiliiiNwn. Anions the 
Hattaks tlie iiiistn-ss (tf tho house hiw frf<|ii»'iillv an ht)aour- 
ahlo placp, an<l th»' word of a fiiiol ,s wife han isonie vahie 
even in pnhlir affairH.' Anion!,' the Uattaks and Niassers 
adnlUrv is threatened witli death ; n«)t for moral rciwonn, 
hnt hecause the wife, and als(» the hetrothed, are inviohihh> 
an pnrehiised property. The Inth^nesian peoph's Hhow a 
reinarkal)h> eapaeity for self-eontrol, eoinposiire in misfor 
tune, doniestieity, hospitality, and politenes.s. There is 
seareely any heathen peoph- anionj; whom may not l»e found 
one or other <lehf,'htful trait. Thi> hiw of many trihes with 
its penal eode k'trays a not inconsideralile sense of justice, 
so that, vtiiltdis mulimdis, it can he taken as the basis of 
( 'hristian lejjislation anionj,' the ( 'iiristianised pef»ples of the 
Indian Archipelago. No one is uu»v delijjhted than the 
missionary, when he discovers t.-ices of a higher morality 
anionn; his people. 

All the same, when we speak of a general perversion of 
morality among animistic peoples, we mean that the idea of 
morals is entirely absent, or present only in a stunted form. 
They have a custom, a law. a fixed usajje, but no morality. 
There are no moral standards. They have the idea of 
the permitted and the forbidden, but not that of j^ood 
and evil. Systematic .s»>ltishiiess is the recojjnis- d law ; no 
one rules his conduct by consideration for othc - ; every one 
is a law unto himself. Anythin<f beneficial to his soul is to 
the Animist j^ood. His conduct is determined by considera- 
tions of profit. The only limit to caprice is that tht action 
must have no hurtful consequences. Accordiiif,'ly, the i)oor 
man ami the oppressed considers anythiiij,' jjood that pre- 
vents him from eomin<^ intt) confiict with those in power. 
He must not meddle with their women or their pro[)erty, 
and he must not provoke their ani^'cr by word or deed. For 
him politeness is "hfe." But all things are allowed to the 
mighty man who has a strong soul. In plundering his 
subjects, treading the jmor beneath his feet, abusing their 

' AmonR che Kwe, also, woman has an honourable place in the family and 
ill public lu'e ^Si-ieth, I.e., j.. Gj f.). 



^^B^^^^^^^B^^^^^^^M 



1^ 



KKATIUKS i)V ANIMISTIC IIKATIIKMSM li" 

wivos iumI wiliiit; tlwir thiltlriMi as slaves, In- Ik invdlviiiR 
liiiiiscll ill no t'vii «i>iint't|ucmi'^ l>iit ratlu-r proiimtinK liin 
iiitiTi'sts. Hut >lntijl.l he iiH'i't one iiii;:litirr than hiiimelf, 
tliiMi the will lit the («tron<.'er Ix-iunies his law. Moriility ix 
one tliin«i l'«»r those at the l"p. aii<l aimther thini,' IVir those at 
the lx>ttoiii. The general lack of moral I'eeliii'; is proved 
by this that every one looks on such iiniiiorality as natural, 
and siihiiiits to the persenitioiis of the riih with stoieal 
tpiietness as to something,' inevitaMe ; were he in their 
position he woiiltl «h> the same. There is only one resii>.int 
to whirh th>M- in power <,nve any heed, and that is the 
aiieestors, who zealously wateh over the customs estaltlished 
or ohserveil in their day. lint these eiistoms are not viewed 
from a moral standpoint. The aiieestors are iii>t aveufjers of 
evil : they are only j,'uardians of tradition. Tra<lition is thus 
law for the animistir heathen. Sin is simply what otVends 
the eustoms which all observe.' Any one oHeriii!,' disrespect 
to these hrinirs evil on himself. The custom may contain 
elements of moral value : it <h>es contain these, but that «loes 
not warrant lis in sayiii;; that it has a moral basis. It is a 
social, not a moral, order, a system of rules of conduct con- 
structed from the national character, from peculiarities of 
the land and climate, from the occupations and political 
institutions of the people, from ejioism and all kinds of 
oiiportunist considerations. The jiood and the evil, the 
attractive ami the reiu'llent, cross one another, and are 
equally lejiitimate. The cu im forbids stealinj^ to one and 
commends it to another. It compels one to walk carefully 
accordiu<r to apparent moral rules, and allows another 
brutally to cast asiiie every iroral restraint. The dctcniiiii- 
in<f factor is not morality but opport' ism. 

The shaping of the custom is dependent on the animistic 

' Tho only sin is for a iiiiii to Umvo the ri'lipmi of liis f.ithern. Horo is 
ri'gardp<l l>y the Niassers as inMliini; more in ]iriMri|ilu tlian a trsnspie.ssioii 
of their lliiku ^custom!, ami hf-a'i snaliliini! is not consicii-n-il l>y tho btathcn 
Nia.ssiT to lit' sin, but tin- icvtiM'. Whon i1h> Ilukii of tlic \i«ssers seoinit to 
coinciile with the i-ontfnUs of one of thi' ten coinoianilnnnts, as, e.g., in 
pam-to /irj-ti, tho crime is not woitliy of di'ath liccauso it is felt to be a sin 
agaii;^t iiud, but brriiuar it ir ;t i :v;ati'.'ii uf liitiuiia: :jiW. 









mm^ 



li'H Tin: \A\\S(, I'OIMKS OK Tin; (JjksPKI, 



*l 



1 



!! 



il 

1' 



world o( tliuii;.'hf. AfttT all, nli-iioii is tlu' inuthrr of 
fiisjorii, iiiiil tlifiiforc of iiiunilitv. No one rniiiiliar w\tU 
aiiiinishV !'\>U\t worsliii. will he MiipriMd at tUv p»'rv(TKioii 
of tin' moral idea. Tin- aiiiinistic world of ideas pro- 
diirivH liiiiiiaii sacriliccs faiiiiilialisiii. prostriition of wiU-lics, 
ulx.iiiiiiatioiis of soncrv, blood rcv«'ii<rc, lifad-lnmtiiitr, the 
killing of twiim. criK-hy to a woman dviiii.' in cliild-lx-d, and 
Hucli infamies. All tlii-M" are means of pr(»ti'ctin<,' or enricli- 
inj,' .mes (.wn soul. .\o lieaflien will adnrit that he is 
committing' a wrom,' in <loini,' these thin<rs. Animism leads 
to the .lepreeiation of human li.e, which in (urn prodnecs 
l)lood-thirstiness and a iiias towards diaholieal triielty. The 
animistie heathen thus debase.l fall into endhss and ruinouH 
trilie feuds, into slavery and men stealin-,'. The saerifiees to 
the .h-ad, the huue numi.ers murdered at the death of an 
African despot, an<l nianv other horrors of animistic heathen, 
are not isolated acts of rude ciipriee ; thev are inherent in 
the system ; they are the natinal and neees.sarv expressions 
(tf misled reli;^iousness.* 

I nehastity is comnuni ; it is also an outcome of the 
animistic worl.l ..f thou-^ht. For it is deemed absolutely 
necessary to ones well-bcin^' both in this world and in the 
next to have children, no matter how they are bej,'otten. If 
a man has no son by his wife he feels compelled to take 
another wife, or several more. I\)h;,'amy, the immorality of 
which no heathen w ill admit, is justitied in this way. In Toba 
a <,'irl who has had a pre-nuptial child is more »iesired than 
another, because she has proveil her ability to bear otfspriuf^. 
Sexual intercourse before marriaLTc is commended to prove 
whether the woman is cn|)able of conception. In Horneo 
unchastity is carried into the service of reliiiious worship. 
We find this also in ti.e Liirnam cult - Siwa is worshipped 
under the symbol of the power of ^'cneration. The IMiallic 
w'orship of Kijypt. (Jrecce and Home show.s how immorality 
has been sai "^ •Med by reli},'ioii in many heathen cults.-' 



' An llioinaii .. [i|,or \ig,r iMiastcd in a (.■uiivursatioii : 

slain sir mm in ni\ . tuiw many liavr yun ?" 

■' ■(■■!■!,•, " K.:!!ipr!ii!. :,;,!,-■ [:. - ! v !ii:im-ai Icii, '■r.LV.ec.i. 



' I have 
1.. -^12. 



--UnnWI 



H 



FKATIUKS OK ANIMISTIC IIKATIIKNISM IJn 



Ilfiitlicn iiiyUiH tell "f tin- iiiiinorality <if tin- ^mIh hihI 
<kMii(iiiH ami liuw tlii'V lie, <hrtMv»', ami i(»iiiiiiit a<lultt>rv in 
emulation of men. Kven thieves antl rulihers liad tlieir 
deity to wliom. with all naivete, they prayed for f«ueeesH in 
their projects. 

Animistic heathenism lacks kno\vled<;e of i;oi <l and evil. 
iM'eanse it has ruled <Iod out of its estimate uf cnstom. .\ 
reference to t!od certaiidy is made in oath> and in trial l>y 
ordeal, anil it seems as it mere was a moral jnd<.'ment 
demanded of Mini. Hut even there the .piestion is, at 
Ixittoni. the maintenance of the enstoie. (Jod, the liii,dicst 
loiirt of apiKal. standing' at»ovc the aiic -^tors, takes tare tliat 
the niotlus vivendi, represente<l hy the tradition, is iv>pct'cd. 
Hut yet it may \n- saitl that liere there is a presentinaiit of 
a real moral court of ap|>eal ; tliat a deeper thoU'^ht is 
imported, inasmuch as the custom, liy the form of the oath, 
makes appeal to (!od as jndjri'. Moral fcclin'^' otherwise 
is little aHected liy it. The individual has no sense at all 
of responsiliility towards (lod. (oid has no voice in what 
he must do or forhear doin;,'. There is no allusion to moral 
retribution except in the case of oaths and trial l>y ordeal, 
and, even in these, retrilmtion is looked foi- in this life only. 
The other worlil is hut a shadowy continuance of the earthly 
life, and of the values that hold <,'ood here. No murderer or 
adulterer, or perjurer need fear punishment there. The oidy 
ones who look forward to a ilreary fate are the poor, the 
leper, the childless ; and that hecaiise their life on earth is 
despieaSile. They do not helieve that (U»\ will jud;^e the 
dead ; and that destroys the very foundation of morality.' 
The concepts. i;ood and evil, have no contents determined hy 
a divine authority. The estimates of them vary hopelessly ; 
and their i)lace is tilled hy the far more importjint «piestions 
of rich or poor, with or witlnait descendants, honoured or 
despised. 

.\nv moral judirnaMit of the individual is absolutely 



41 



' llankc s:iy> of tlir I'.iiiii,im>< : ■• < »i uli.it n«- ouiiM it lie fur incii with tlioir 
oliinidns to !«■ h<k>i1. All t;M to mn' lUcc, an.l nlipthcr v'u,,il ,,r !..i.l, thi; 

I 



1^« TIIK MVIXC FOIJCKS OF THK (JOSPKL 



«l ! 

H 



;I5 ■ 

1! 



|lepen(l(Mit on (lio (>|iiiii()i) of tlio i-oimiiuiiity of wliicli lie 
is a mcmlM'r. N'o tli()u<r|it or will of his own <roes to its 
sliapini,'. Tiic individual soul with his own responsihility, 
liis own decision, has not yot conx' to life anionj? animistic 
peoples, Menee the all-powerfiil, tyrannical nii},'ht of 
custom. This complicated tradition that has rule<l, un- 
chan-^ed for centuries, lies like a curse on i»rimitive j.eoples, 
and kills every moral movement. Should any scruple of 
conscience emer^'c. it is stilled at once by this fatalistic 
strait waistcoat. Their conscience is a siijnpost whose 
writini; lias heen ol)Iitenite<l. The lioathen are like stamped 
coins with one siii«,'Ie iiiiaire and superscription. There are no 
separate individualities ainoni,' them, only national types, and 
these over whole jiortioiis of the world have common features. 

- It follows, from what has been said, that animistic and 
polytheistic heathenism, with all its relijjiousne.ss, i.s not 
reliLTioii in tlie sense of a relation to (Jod : it is pure 
woildline.ss. Interest in this world, in the ac<iuisition and 
maintenance of its henefits, determines the nature of this 
rcli!,'ion. The latest place in it is taken by the cult of the 
soul. That, and not the worsIii|» of iU>i\ is the etmimon 
f^ooil ; that ,!,'ives the reliiiious coKmrin^' to daily life. Its 
pleasures are purely mundane. The Animist is pious after 
the thoujjht of his relisjion when he strugrrles on to a <,'ood 
old a!j:e, and <;aiiis a lar<,'e share of whatever seems precious 
to the primitive man. Hut the heart, the immortal part of 
him, remains uiiairected. The soul-stuff is material, its 
liyfj;ieiiic treatment mechanical and mediated marcically. 
The irreatest defect of Aiiiinisin is its asscssnient of tlie 
earthly life as tlie hifrhcst jjood. The Battaks say, "Man 
comes to earth to eat rice." Their needs do not yo beyond 
nourishment and well-beini,'. They are not attracted, they 
are repelled by the supernatural. They avoid it, except so 
far as any contact with it may have sijrnificance foi their 
bodily weal. Xothinu; but anxiety for tlie preservation of 
earthly <j;ood -rives a reliijiious appearance to this materialism 
throu<;li their arranvremeiits with the world of spirits. 



FKATriiKS OF ANIMISTIC HKATHKNISM l.'U 



For oven when sacrifices and prayers are ofl'ereil tc» lii<jlier 
powers the olyect is to obtain material i)ent'tits, siicli as 
healthy descendants, increase ot" tlctclis ol" cattle, al>nndant 
harvests, and victory. To obtain such hencHts antl remain 
in undisturbed jiossession ot" tiicm, it is absolutely necessary 
to invoke the dreaded deities an<l spirits, and make oll'criiii^'s 
to them, however little one may i'eel drawn to tliem. Nottrott 
says oi' the Kols: " To maintain possession ol their ^oods. and 
to ward ott" all evil, are the ends of their rcli;^ionsness. They 
do not sene their <;o<ls, but make these <i;ods serve them, and 
with this end in view they oH'cr them sacrifices. Their wor- 
ship is the most jironounced ejjoism in the form of relij^ious 
UHa}j;e." Sundermann says: "When I s{)eak of" tlie Niassers' 
worship I must first remark that real rcli<jions feeling has 
almost nothing; to (h> with it. We must leave almost entirely 
<»ut of account a genuine reii<jious need of entering into and 
abidin<; in union with supernatural beini;s. They have h>st 
all deeper foelinLc for a supernatural world, and even for a 
life after death, as younj; Christians have often confessed 
to me." Animistic faith and woi-ship contain nothinj^ of 
what we usually understand by relii,'ious needs.' 

Religion is not dee])ened by any lielief in another worltl. 
All that lies beyond the grave is uncertain, and signifies only 
a fading away of the earthly life. The irioomy notions about 
the kingdom of the dead and the shadowy life of the dead, 
their dependence on the liberality of their descendants, and 
their envy, all these prove that only life on earth is valued. 
No action of theirs is determined by motives ilrawn from the 
prospect of another life. No sacrifice, no prayer gains dej)th 
from any glance at the life after death. No one expects 
from the life to come what this life has failed to give. The 



I 






'We art' toii tlie samu thiiin nf tliu ol 1 Iinliuiia: " That which tlu' ulil 
Indian Aryans dcsiinl ol their j^mls was victory over their enemies, Uooty in 
war, liaml.s ol' lirsve heroes for tie h.ittle, anil, tlierefore, an aliiimlanee of 
male deseeiulaiits ; in )ieaie, };ond liai vests, and f,'reat families of splendid 
children (Dil^er. A.M./., T«90, |i. SOT:. The followini,' is the prayer of :t 
Kwe negro to tio<l : "Cive to ni' 1 1 will f,'ive to thee ; refnse me, anil I 

will refuse thee. (live me tirst si thin^,' to eat, and I will {;ive thee some- 
thing in return " iSpieth, " Die Ewe-Stamnie. ' p. 42(i). 






i.'J- .*. 

I 



'M 









[ 



132 THE MVFX(! FORCES OF THE (JOSPEL 

ciintinucd existence of tlie <lea(l is not called life. No union 
with (ioil is there, for there is no Divine Judge, no Life 
(Jiver, Absolute hopelessness ' stares the dyinij in the face; 
and it is borne with a dull apatii^ which sliows tlmtjlUJ'C. 
has dreamt of making any claims on that _othcr_ world. 
There is but one life, the present life, ami happy is he wUa 
enjoys ]t. The |)rosperous are unfortunate in that they uuist 
leave their treasures and possess nou!j;ht but the shadow of 
p;ifts scantily dispensed. Hut thrice uiduippy are the poor or 
the sick, for a continuance and intensitication of their sulTer- 
in;,'s awaits them there. Their relii;ion cannot help them to 
any more |)reciou8 and abidin-,' blessinjjs. This heathenism 
has no belief in immortality, for even that dream-like life in 
the kiii,t,'«lom of the dead is idtimately (juencliiMl. This shows 
very clearly how dead and unfruitful the idea of Vunl has 
become in Animism ; it is unable to produce any thouf,dits or 
I any hopes of life. Cod is removed too far away for nu'u to 
I make the darinj,' claim for a life that should endure. Ood 
troubles not Himself about the life and welfare of His 
creatures. All the scattered traces of tleeper reli<,'ious feel- 
in-,' found in Animism disappear at the i,'ra\e. To love 
l"'^ lifr ; that is the <|uintessenee of animistic wiaduijl But 
the disciples of that .visdom only reap disapp(>M)(iuent, for 
JJejvho is flu- til-''^'' i'^""^"" riCtltpniT I if d..Mtli .... »...ry 



■ Th.' dirge »( the Xi;is" 



MS is I toiicliiiif,'c\-|.ioisi()ii rifliopelessiiess. 
' (aihI away the Cdip.sc iiicl the -iiiiTr-.v, 
Cast away the dead j;ieat and small, 
Trmilple not thy soul, 
Trouhlc not thu heart within tlieo, 
Thou art not the only one severely liit, 
TliiMi ail not alone in sinh distress, 
I>eiith passes from trihe to trihe, 
Ueath hastens Ironi house to liousi', 
It is therefore our eominon exjierieiiee, 
We j,'idw up to be food lor worms, 
Wi' live to he fiidder for vermin, 
11ms this earth ie> pi oe wh.re m.n nei'd not ilie ? 
Where is there l.iil a proteetiii^' nook. 
Where man will ,,, ! )„. the prey of dealh." 

Iries, • Kundhiief, " i;iOj(, p. 2 (. 



FRAirRKS OF ANIMISTU' IlKATHKXiSM V.VA 



relipjion whose intcroKtw uri- of t'iirtlij when He sa^s : " Wlio- 
wocv erJoveMi his life shall lose iL ' 

Imioraiifc, lies, rstraiiticnieiit rroiii <hi«1, hoiidai;*", si-ltisli- 
iiess, iniiiiorality, worldliiies.i of disposition, tiiesc an- tlie 
tlccisivp marks of animistic- lieatheiiism which tlie messenger 
of tile (Jospel must keep eleariv infore liiiii. Heathenism is 
not unveiled to him as a lower staj^e of relij^ion, eapal)le of 
improvement, Imt a power ineonipatii)le witli tnie religious 
life, a power whieii forees into its service that portion of 
ma...vind that is out of fellowship with Christ. Its ruling 
effort is not towards (Jod and eoinmunion with Him, but is 
an opposition to the living God that l)eet>mes greater through 
the eenturies. 

Is the picture too dark ? Is justice not done to the 

' elements of truth which heathenism contains f We have 
ventured to mention some of these, and IVotestant mission 
work is not blind t(» them. A longing and a seeking for 
(Jod gleams here and there through all animistic distor- 
tions. That is specially the case with the idea of (Jod, which 
is in contradiction with animistic beliefs. The longing is 
revealed by the uncertainty of the heathen's convictions, by 
his dissatisfaction, and by the reniend»rance i.f a better con- 
dition in former days. Anyone desiring to win the heathen 
to Christianity will rejoice to recognise, to collect and to use 
these rays of light. Hut a true judgment refuses to give 
them the first place. These are not the impelling forces of 
heathenism ; not to them does it owe its power over the 
people. The purer idea of (Jod has ct)ntributed nothing to 
the ede.eation of animistic peoples ; an<l it has been unable 
to preserve heathenism, even in its most pious representatives, 
from a growing estrangement from («od. The essence of 

I heathenism to-tlay is determined by (Jodlessness, not by that 

i dim longing after the true (!od, and it «lerives its character- 
istic marks from CJodlessiiess. Its powers, born of earth, 

*^drag downwards, not upwards. F()r, that mighty forces 
bear sway in heathenism is exp...ienced l)y missions in every 
region, powers whiirh ever widen the gulf between (Jod and 
num. If the (M)spel were willing, in the hope of [)ronioting 



I 



tfi- 



4 " 



II 



'1^ 



I 



BBmem 



mm 



*l 



I 



l\ 



i;' 



134 THE TJVINfJ FORCES OF THE GOSPEL 



[ 



a hotter uii»lerstiiiuliii<r, to iiiake cdiux'ssions in its estimate 
of liriitliciiiMii, it would inipovcrisli itself without eiiriehiii<j 
heatlieiiisiii. Cliiistiaiiit}' aiul hciitiii'iii.siii confront each 
other a.s hostile powers, wliich niu><t liave an exact know- 
lc(l<ie of eadi otlier and then cross swords in a hard battle 
till the weaker of the two succuinh. The followinj; pajjes 
will show how far in this conflict those isolated elements of 
truth are litted to become the allies of the CJospel. 



II. FIRST CONTACT liKTW KKN 
CIIRISTIAMTY AND lilvXTIIENISM 

A. HKATHKNISM [N AN ATTITl'DK <)F 
OIM'OSITION 

Thk (JospL'l, imiiivitiMl, <;(h's to lioiitlionism, aixl l>v a 
simple oHur ol" its tiiitii tails for smiTinlor. eoiiviiuTtl that 
the fortress of iioatheiiisiii will fall before the trumpet Mast 
of the jfospel proelaniation. What then is the attitude of 
aiiimistie heatheuisiu ^ The heatlieu have heeii oeeui)ietl 
with thou}j;hts about (iod and His worship ; they have been 
serupuhms in their observanee of relis^ious usij^es ; they have 
made their whole life a religious eerenionial. Should we 
not expeet that the (Jospel would yain their assent as soon 
an they heard its mcssajfe. Must they not exclaim : Here is 
what our fathers racked their brains for and whose lack we 
have painfully felt; you brini; us the (Jod whom we have 
Hought so lonj? in vain ? Yes, if heathenism were what we 
might construct from the stunted elements of truth in it. 
^ But the animistic heathen by no means fall into the arms of 
Christianity ; rather they withstaml it actively or passively. 
Its absolute rejection of the (Jospel when lirst presented is 
a clear proof that those nobler features of heathenism, its 
search after God and its relii^iousness, which should have 
predisposed it in favour of Christianity, are not the decisive 
marks of its nature. The elements of tiiitli in animistic 
reli frion are not strong cnou«jh to open the hearts of its 
woraliippers to the preacliiuj; of the (Josj.d. Of course, 
heathenism does not always aggressively assail the (jospcl 
and its messengers, for fanaticism is not one of its clniracter- 
isties, and where ()i)en conHicts arise, very often they are the 
outcome of other motives. But the experience of mission 
work shows that nowhere has heathenism, at the first, any 



iilK 
I 



i'i 



nil 

I 



tx 

'■»■ 

i ( 



J 






II 



V.W TMK LIVIX(; KOliCKS OF TFIE (;(>SPKL 

(IcHirc to know .iiivtliiiii; alumt tlii' new rcliuiion. A ohwerl 
iu-t|uaiiitiiiii(' nitli Aiiiiiiisiii sliows iis tliat it vonUl not boj 
otlu'iwiso. ■'"^ 

('liri.>tiaiiity sets heforo tlic lifatlii'ii siniiotliiii}^ I'litin-iy 
strarif^f ami uiiiiiti'lliL,ql)lo to tlioin. IaI us ondcavoiir to 
1,'rt u clear coiiceptioii of tlio ciioiinoiis mill" hetwccii tlio 
iiiosst'iij^iT of till- (Mtspfl and thv lioarcrs of liis nussaf^'c. 
Tlio Aniniist ivji-cts at once every i'oreitjn reli<;;ion, not imlecd 
hecanse lie is conviiiced of the superiority of his own. No : 
he believes that every nation lia> it.> own national ;^o(ls and 
its own hereditary reli^'ion, wliieli is inalienal)!y suited to 
it as its lan<l, its laiijiuajjji, and its customs. Tjie European 
lias liis relii,'i(ni ; it is f;o(,d for him as the reliufion of the 
Hattak is for the liattak, and the rclijiion of the Niasser for 
the Niasser.' For the Koinans of the Kmjiire every forei<jn 
relij,'ion had an attraction because it was forei<j;n. hut for 
the heathen every foreiijn religion is repellent for the same 
reason. To accept tiie reliijion ol another nation one must 
become a member of that nation. That only happens to 
those sold as slaves to a foreiijn nation : these have lost 
their nationality . they have exchanjicd it for that of their 
masters. All reii^'ious matters are decided by the nation to 
wiiicli one belon<,'s. And now comes a man of foreij^n 
nationality with new uiiintellii^nblc customs ; he i)raises his 
straufje religion as the only true relij^ion, and declares that 
this relij,'ion is better lor brow>. and black peojde than even 
their own. The natives will mostly reason thu.s : to atlopt 
.this new relijjion we must become Europeans.-' The state 
of matters amoii^' a primitive people is entirely ditterent from 
that with which the Apostles and their successors had to 
deal. The idea of a national reli,i,'ion binding on all members 

' The I'.iiiimiis icplie.l to tin: Kliiiif niissic.iiarics : "That is no doiilit goml 
tbiyou wliitr iMn|,|,., Iiut iHit r.)r us blacks ; you luive ymir customs iiud wc 
havn iiur.s." Tlic M>iila\vcy Islamlcrs rcpiicii to Lett the niibsionaiT. when 
lie was (Icdairuiiij,' afiiiinst the hanjiiiij,' ol witchc-i : '• Why shouhl you whito 
]icoi>li; tioublc yours 'Ivcs about our customs ! . . . cvervoiii; has his osvn 
custoui." Wo aic consli'.utly coniiuj,' on the same answer in missionary 
literature. 

- We ollen reail in mission lejKvrts of such sayings by the natives. 



IIKATIIKNISM IN ATTITI DK «)F OPPOSITION i:{7 

of tlie nation was in tlu-ir dav (li^apI.(•arin!,' ; the in.livitlual 
was tree to dccidf. indoixMidciit of auv national oiili>,'atioii, 
wliat iTlii,M(.n lu- would anipt. I'lifir own ii-li-,'ion lia<l 
fallen into disfiodit : liu'v wvw cLliitit - in iclii^ion st-ltvtinji 
tlie best eleniiiits from all ri-ii'.'ions : wliile the iilea tliat 
there wa^ a universal relij^ion liiiJier and purer than any of 
those exi.^tinii pavetl the way l(^r Christianity. The mis 
sionaries of tiie early ("hnrch, wherever they went, foiind at 
least a reatliness to examine the new reli,tri«>n and see whether 
it answered to their hopes and ilesires. The aniiuistie 
heathen is not expeetinj^ any new relif^ion. Me is hound by 
his national reli.-,Mon, in whieli the individual has n() neeil 
to take np a personal position. Mission work to-day is I 
eonfronte«l with mueh the same eonditions as mission work | 
in the Middle Aj;es had to fa.e in Central Kuroiie. In A 
«ieseril)in^' the Franks, liuri,'undians, An«,doSaxons juul 
Saxons, llauek deseribes the lieathenisni of primitive peoi>Ies 
of to-day. " It is not the individual but the whole people 
who deeide wliether they shall belonj,' to this or that eliureh." 
"The old mission methods were bound to fail amoni^ 
peoples in whom the sense <»f individiudity was very sli^ditly 
developed, and where the spiritual dependeiue of the indi- 
vidual, on the whole, was hardly shaken. Kelij,'ion, here, 
was still part of the mitional eustoni from which the 
individual neither eould nor vvmild detach himself. That 
involved a chanj^e of method on the part of mission work. 
It eould not as formerly advance from the individual to the 
whole, but had to win the whole in order to reach thi- 
indiviilual.' The acceptance of Christianity by a decree of the 
people, as in the ease oi the Uuri^undians, has been very 
frequently repeated in mission work amonti the (Jermans; it 
may almost be said t(> have been the typical way in which 
Germans became Chr .tians. " As the mission methods ol' 
the early Church were in keeping with the fact that the 
time of the Itoman llmpire was an epoch of the most in- 
a'nse individualisation, 6o the way in which the Cermans 
' A. Hmu'k, •■Altkirclilichf uiid mittelaltorHche Mi.s.si.iii.siiictlio(lp, A.M Z. 
I'JOl, 1>. o7h. 



*.:|^ 



I.S8 



THK MVI\(; FORCKS (>K THK fJOSPEL 



i\ ■'■■ 
Ij:, 



n 
(' 

i' 

1 



aceoptcl Cl.riHti.i.iity wun in keopiiifr „itli the fuet. that 
ainoiiR thi'.n the s„li,h.ritv of tUv nation in.posin- itself 
»|>on the in.hvi.lui.i was in...n.|.aral.ly more vi!,^,rons than 
pem.nal in.livid.,aiify. We cannot presnp,.ose the final fruit 
..I enltnre-vvhieh is indivi.inahsation - in those who are 
tak.n^r th.- first step on the path of culture. ' In like manner 
..HMlcrn nasMons .leal with un.leveh.pe.l peoples, who are not 
free to put themselves in opposition to their religion, whieh 
IS the possession and sanetuary of the nation. Fries the 
nnssionary at Sifaoroasi (Nia.). writes: •• I„ any po^iblc 
ehanj.e of re ,ir„.u no one will decide on his own responsi- 
h.l.ty ; ,t IS the counsel ..f elders, who must deei.le, forun.onff 
(Mir Nuissers relij,non is wholly a national affair. The alter 
native for the several elans i« all or none. The close union 
of the tribe relieves the in.lividual of responsibility, but it 
r..bs hin. also of the freedom of individual decisi;,,.. The 

nd.M dual. Ihe in.liv.dual ,s not free enough to abandon 
.-s rel.„o„ at his pleasure ; he would thereby' be withdraw 

n« Inmself from the national uniou.i The A. ist must, at 

the hrst rejec any preachinj? that «epan,te« religion f^m 
..ationahty, and .lemands from tl;e individual a free decisioe. 
Moreover, the adherents of natural religion are eonserva- 
ti>c n, the most ri-orous sense of the word. Their relision 
as already shown is tra.lition, and a religious man is one who 
ouserves the tradition. RehVion does not mean a person d 
relation to the far-ofT^ods, but an observance of the'erton 

whirh *'"'";'" ^ '" *''^''"'>'' t'"'".^'' ""-ritten book, of 
«h.ch the ancestors were the authors, and are now the strict 
guardians. A change of religion would be a mome.Z^s 
'•"Pture w-ith the carefully-.uar.led tradition, unles o ^^ 

raZld""-'?;"?^"' '"'"•^^'"' "• *''^ P-P'e whose religion 
lu adopted ; - m that case, one would enter into the traditions 

cu.^;.,.. .„.;;; ;:i ;;;;:s ;:::;:;::: .ii::,:;: ^""•" - --^-y ^^^n.u 



":VPS'99m::' 



^wnfSi^ri 



vr^s^'sr 



HEATHENISM IN ATTITl'DE OF OPPO: ITION l:»9 

of that people, would l)c iimler oMii^utiini to veiieratr its 
institlltioIl^ would uetrpt its protect iii<,' deities as liis own, 
and woidd tlierel>y he protected aijaiiist tiie vratli of his ttwii 
national t^otls, that is, his ancestors. A ehaiejce of reli;.,'ioii is 
like the late of a slave wlu> ehan<,'es his master. The new 
master into whose familv and trilie lie enters undertakes to pro- 
tect him.* Hut evervthiii",' in the heathen resists such a step. 

Ueeall the fact that the worship of the Aniniist is essentially 
ancestor worship. No Animist, at tirst, can form anv other 
notion of the Christian reli;;iou than that it represents the 
deities of another mitiou and the auccstors of another people. 
How can t>ne with their mode of thinkinj? chan>?e his 
religion, uhich means really to adoj)! other ancestors. A 
man has his own forefathers, and cannot chanj^'e them. The 
European has his ancestors, and the Indonesian his. Primi- 
tive man never dreams of trying to c»»nvert people of another 
nationality to his religion. Their forefatliei-s • different. 
The proselytising zeal of the white man nuist therefore strike 
him as very strange. 

Though the attitude of primitive peoples is one of opposi 
tion to every other religion, Christianity cannot but appear 
to them specially strange. Europeans are its messengers 
and preachers. Primitive man is iidiercntly susjuciimH, and 
distrusts the European proioundly. The foreigner, e<|uippe(', 
he thinks, with supernatural powers and immeasurable riches, 
far superior to him in wisdom, the master of unimaginable 
arts, surely comes to defraud and rob the poor coloured 
man. "Accustomed from the beginning of his days to be 
continually deceived and e.\i)loited by the clever and the 
strong among his own people, he is (piite justified in 
meeting anyone wiser than himself with great caution." 
This distrust is the deeper wherever white planters or 
merchants have preceded the missionary, or where the mis- 



' The Chiiiesfc, tlie rao-t Co .seivalivc heathen in the worhl, can l>e more 
easily won to Christianity when abioa.l than whi'U in China, heoausc thpy 
have left behind thini their aniestorn, ami the whole sacred tradition eon- 
nected with tlieni. The slackenin(; of the [lolitical bond makes it easier to 
break the religious. 



avm aass^jmisoFM 






I H» Tin: [jvi\<; K(U{(i;s ok thk (J(»spkl 

Hi.Mmry i« (•.)l|,.wf<l l.v Mu- »'stal.li,s|.iiu-iit ..la n.lonial >j<.vrrii 
merit, Hh<.M' hlesMnjr tiic priiiiitiv.- iiimii .I.k-n not at (.me we. 
'I'liev think it natnial that r<.reii,ni nii^sicnaries .shouhl have 
th.ir own (liUlrent reii},rion, Imt that they .should wi.sh the 
natives to a.lopt it instead of Animism is somethinj,' uiiheani 
•if. 'l"he lorei^jn < nstom is, n,, ,|onhl. suited to the wise and 
niiiihty whin. ,.eo,de. Hut how .an it be suited to poor and 
i^'noiant ISattaks or Allurus ? Can the l.rowii man become 
white f 

The missionary (we are speakii,;,' here,,. J.e tirst e<.ntaet 
Willi a peopk- who have had no missionary previoiislv) has at 
hrst a very imperleet kiiowled-e of the laii-ua-e; ami his 
inessa-e is ,.fteii misiindcrstood, or not understood at all 
le ae,,iiires painr.illy a lew words ; lu- uses then, in a sense 
.liHerent Iron, that frivei, to them by the natives, .iud with 
a psyeholojrical reference they do not uiulerstand. Jle linds 
(or example, a word i..r sin; he never suspectH that they 
associate the word with a t<.tally ditlereiit idea. He usen 
Christian terni.s, such as faith, -..ilt, ^.r^iveiiess ; aiul every 
necessary presupposition for their uiidei-stamliiifr i« |ackiii« 
... their relij,non. The lanpuajre is one of the ^^reatest 
obstac es f. even the n.o.st elementary preucliin- of the 
|<.si.el In many mission fields decades pass before even 
the ri.d.t word is found for (;od.» It is only by residing in 
the Ian, lor yeans, by persistent study of the outward and 
...vv-ard life ol the people, and by relentless self-eritici«m, 
that he .iiis.s,o,ianc8 come to «ee the errors into which at 
hrst they fell ,n all simplieity. The mi.ssionary has even less 
••liaiice of be.n^r understood if he employs an interpreter. 

...iL^n Z^Vl : '"'w^' '■'",""■""'""■ -I""'- "- «• "'^^t l^"..! in the 
,..■ , . »* ueii WW. nrsL ims.Muniaiit's were look n<' out fnr 

know, but the iiaiiic of tli.> aiinstois „( tl.^ ^..;l,. , .. . ■ / '•'-r'-r" 
(•al'.,l Mn'nn, !• 1 ,,=*"""""''"'"'« ti ilif. Cri-at cluels Were also 

,W r h '"' • ' '" '' '"'"' ""• *'' "'"^•'' ^■'■J""''^' K'-'-nKa, the good 

( reato the wo.,! tha, ha,l been sonfiht. How nu.ch „us„„de stan.C 
nay. vexat.on. ,„ay have been cHU.,ed by the free use of this woni for years' 
and how oueu n,ay a have .ie.troyed the effect of the Go.,,el n,es«a " ,^ ' 






IIEATIIKNMSM I\ ATTmnK oK OPPOSITION 141 

What woiidor tlio lioutheii rojocf a iiu'si*ii«.'o t'rnmouiisly »'X- 
IKtuiulod whicli, from tlic tirst, iiwdkt- tlifir distnist.' 

And now, snjntosinu; tliat tin- nit'sKatr*' lias honi licanl, 
what of its nintonts ? It sots forth ideas as iin|»ortant wliii-h 
have hitherto been utterly remote from the heathen. They 
d(»n't hear of a reli<;ion interested in the earth ; tliey hear 
nothing about the way to hecome rieh and Iiaiipy, or how to 
nresorvo one's soul power throni:h all danirers : they hear 
instead of a relation U< iJud, of sin ami tori;ivem'ss. of 
resurreeti<m and life after death an-l final jndi.nnent. pure 
novelties, whieh to the heathen intent on tiiis world seem to 
1)0 sheer foolishness.- The new reliu'ioii >peaks of Messina's 
for whicli they have no desire and depreciates those whieh 
thev deem preeious. The new preaehinu turns all their 
reli}:ious thinkinj; ni)side down. Alisolute unintelli'.'cnee 
stares from the eyes of his hearers on the evani^elist. Then 
also the me.ssajre is directed to the individual, to tin' poor as 
well as to the rieh, to slaves as well as to their masters; 
it sav* tlu^ sanu' thiui; to ,dl, eallini; upon them to make a 
personal decision. .Ml this works toj^ether to make the 
proffered (Jospel stranj,'e and uneon;^'enial. 

The Mohammedan propaganda has nniny advantajjes over 
the Christian. In the <ireat majority of eases it is carried on 
by members of the people whose conversion is sought, and 
therefore has not the savour of an exotic. The missionary 
and those unions^ whom he labours understand each other. 
The heathen sees from his Mohammedan fellow-countryman 
that the chan<,'e is not dau'^erous, and that it does not 
involve the loss of one's nationality or of the oistom est.d)- 
lished in ancestor worship. Moliannnedanism does m)t exact 
from the heathen a revolution of his relii,'ious ideas ; it leaves 

' The state of tliiiiys is iiKne tavournlilr wlicii tlir Uospl in hr(mi,'ht to tlio 
lipathen l>y oiii' of their own \»'»]<\e. Tlie (losprl lias .siucul iiuiikor, iimi 
found move opi-n curs and lii-nrts ainoni; tlio tiiittiiks sinot- mission work was 
rarrifd on I'V native t'van«;i)ists. The nativf is not only a more- int(>llif,'il>lf 
preacher ; his wholf life is a convineini,' seiinon id" the ihh relijjion. 

-The heathen Hetshii.ins leeeived MolI;it's preaihin^ il lirst with p.'als of 
laugliter. His statements aliout creation, the fall. ncUinption, all sonnded 
to them unspeakably insipid. Mntfut telt th;it he was like a p.asmit attempt- 
ing to pl<iU),'h a iTianite lodv. 



t\ 



Ifl 



i 



If 



.1 



U2 TMi: l,IVI\(; FOMCKS or TIIK COSf^KL 

liiiii-iif lotist ill the liMliiiii Ardiipclaffo- his iimostors and 
•ItMiK.ns. his iiiai;!.- ihmI sa.rificfs, his iiiiiii..rality and national 
Mins. If onlv d.'iiiandH a nuuliaiiical ..hsiTvaiitr of certiiin 
ritos. washiiitrs, fastinirs. pravers towards Mtrca. and a caro- 
fiilnoss not to rat Hwinc Ih-sh. The prohiiation of a cfrtain 
f..od is soiia-thinj; the Animist can cmmK nndcrstand ; his own 
rcliirioii has imii.lMTs of such prohii.itions. I lis si'parati.wi 
from the old worship is „„lv in external thii.<,rs, and the 
chaiM,'.' uf reii-,'ion is made as convenient as possible. Mam 
does not demand from its heathen converts anv inward 
appropriifion. 

'riien- is the crnx felt at the very first contact with 
Christianity. Its ceiifr.d fact rc.piires to he understood, 
thonjrh in a very elementary way. before anvonc ,.,,1, resolve 
to enil.race it. Hut fhe heathen have no "desire U, under- 
stand it; they will not take the trouble t<. think about it • 
they assume tli.it the reliirion of their fathers is .piite sufli- 
cieiit for them. X..iie of them has ever felt the need of 
chan.uin^' his ivlij^ion. When the missii.nary Hiirton first 
••ntcred Mie heathen Hattak land in Um, and explained hi» 
object t.. a i,'reat n.cetini,' in Silin.lnnij, when lie s|)oke to 
them of (uul. the Creator, and .l.-sus the Ke.leemer, they 
answered politely but deci.ledly : " What v«>n sav may be 
Ko.kI, but it is not for us ; we shall ji..t leave the wav of our 
fathei-s. for it is jjood for us. ' He hud to withdraw 'without 
offectm- anythiiii,'. Foreign missionaries often f;et the answer • 
" Your wonls are -ood, very .rood," but it is a polite phrase 
not seriously meant.' M;,nifestly, therefore, the tree of 
animistic licatlienism cannot be bronrjlit (h)wn by one stroke. 
Missionaries must be prepared for lonjr, patient lalx.nr before 
the heathen jxct even a .lim perception of what the (Jospel 
seeks to yive them. 



TIh. I,,r.„lj„ ,v,ll a»sM.v y„u il,,it ,.11 w,u say U true, that all l,is customs 
ai.l estivals ..-,. Imt tales an,! li... of Ins C.r.-ratliei^, that tl„. Dutch uic u ■ .. 
l..',.|,lr wl,„ know all thin-s, ul,,!,' they aiv stupi,! and know n,.tlun.' H-t 
.( you a,...,.,„ tl,..i,- Mat..,,,,.,,, a>„l say: Well, if y„u ,■,.,>,,„,.,. IhaT (;,ul's 
Won ,s tiu,., why ,|„ y„„ not follow il ' ,h,.y will l„„k at you as it th.-v 

wouhlsay: Are yo, , sati>li,.,i with n,y a,in,ittinj< that vou were ri.-ht ; 

wnat ra.-.ro wi.iiei ,>..!, iuue 



MKATIIKXISM IN ATI ITI'DK OK nl'I'nsnioN n:< 

A jjrt'iitor liiii<iriim-*> still tn tlu* iUTf|»taiiiT of Cliristiaiiity 
in the iH'iithon'H utter want of inten^t in spiritual tliiii;!**. 
Their reliijiousnt'sH is n dnctrinc nf material liuppiru-ss willi 
earthly aims ami means. There is very little .-(ekini: f">r 
(J(m1 c»r for truth in it. They often say pi ly, If you 
l)riiiu us a reliLrion that will make us rich an<l stron<x : if you 
liuarantee us numerous sons or the |>o>ition ot' a distlntrnisheil 
ehief. wc shall lieciune Christians, 'I'he missionary is liitterly 
ilisappointed tiy this earthly-miinhiiuess, this deadness to 
higher interests, hut we nuist never forLtit that worhlliness 
is the essenee nf aiiiniistie heathenism. The heathen is 
relitfious for earthly ends. Coiifronti d »vith a reiiiiiou 
dealiii<^ with spiritual henelits, he inevitalily puts little value 
on it; he rejeets it U-canse it ))romises him nothing ■ f that 
which he has heen aeeustomed to look for from his own 
relif^ion. Only a fool would |»as.s over to a reli;j:i(Ui which 
yielded him no profit.* It was in \irtue of the falsehood 
inherent in their heathen reIiy;ion that they were (piite 
Hatisfieu with it. I'artienlar failures of sorcery or fruitless 
sacrifice to those who took part in them were no pr(">r of 
deception.'^ Animists are firmly lonvinced that help can he 
purcliased friuu lii;^her powers hy sacrifices and ceremonies. 
N'o one expects anything from the life to come. There is no 
desire for eternal l»lessin;j;s, or rather !uiy such desire has 
Ikjcu extinsiuished in the service of materialism. A heathen 
can form no conception of a relii,'ion of spiritual heiu'tits. 
and therefore at first they sujipose that Christianity is like 
tlieir own reli^itJii, si relif^itm for securiii<j earthly lilessiuf^s. 

' The heatlieii Hetshiuins iiuitc openly lejilidl lo .\l"ltiit. Tin' iirw lUst ■iiis 
you proaili cunnot (ill tlie stoiimcli. Tlit I'upuaM.s us. ! similar l:itii,'uaj,'L' to 
tlipir missiouarioi. 

- If you ri'iiiiiid a Kainhii that, in spite of talismans, pcopl.. arc kiUcil ni 
l)attle ami die of ilisoasf, ln' will give you tlif answer 1 once got. You 
give nu'ilicine. ami yot uit n ilie, Tliey arc lulplul in some eas. s. It is the 
Name with o.i' lalismaiis ; thty are nieiliiims. Who knows 't.w often they 
have Iwen the means of lielp ? I'rutzer'. A Torailja ■ liief siiitl to Kruyt the 
niiisionary ; " Von ask (lod for what you « .ni ; sometime.s He grants your 
rei|uest, .loinetiuies not. We pray to our };o(i» for wli.il we want ; aoni. tiuj^i 
tliey grant onr nipiest. sometimes not. Von .see that Christianitv and 
hcatheni^;:! urc ipiiie the saiiir." 



m 



,-1,, 

ll: 

21; 



If. 



144 TIIK LIVIX(J FORCES OF THE dOSPEL 

Ita adherents become rich and powerfid ; see the white iien 
who wield its inherent powers of magic. Simon, the mis- 
sionary, on di<,'ginn; a well at F}an(h)r (east coast of Sumatra), 
was regarded as a niiglity majrician. The Niassers believed 
that the missionaries were in possession of great means of 
magic, which of course they Cdncealed. The I )amra regarded 
H. Ilahn, the missionary, as a great magician. 'I'he Papuans 
even regarded the missionaries as s|)irits. They saw in the 
cofTee of Hoftiuann, the missionary, a medicine which was 
a protection from epidemics, and cai!e<l on Missionary Kunze 
to heal a sick jurson in the words, " Kunze, give orders that 
he may l)e heale<l." The hcatlien wouhl gladly bcctmie 
Christians if they weri' made tiieieby richer, "healthier, and 
stronger through the magic power of Christianity, if they 
lived longer and had more descendants. Otherwise, what 
end is to be served by the change? 

Add to all this the vis iturtia, nowhere greater than 
among a people enervate«l by a tropical climate, from whom 
subjection to demons and fatalism have taken awav the little 
energy that once jierhaps lay in the cradle of its " ancestors. 
If some of them are really laid hold of by the new truth, 
how are they to brace themselves up to make the change 
and embrace a reliiriuii which makes the greatest demands 
on the will, iind which will in all probability involve them 
in inconveniences, privations, and inartynhmi ? Animistic 
peoples are entirely different from (Jeruhans, llonians, and 
Sclavs. They do not know what energy of will is,'thev 
have no name for it. How are they to accept a religion 
which can oidy i)e embraced i)y a vigorous will ? Xothiiur 
is more uncongenial t(. the Indonesian than vigorous action 
involving conseiiuences. He endures suffering as well as 
any man if it must l)e. l$ut he leaves vigorous action to 
(»thers. Without such action, In.wever, no one can enter 
into Christianity. 

Free from fanaticism as animistic heathenism generally 
is, there are vet some rabid o|)ponents of Christianity These 
are ineu whose iiiflupntial i>nsition is tiireaten<-(l— maiidv 
chiefs. Such nu-n are the otticial and interested guardians 



HKATHEXISM IN ATTITI'DE OF OIM'OSITION H^ 

of custom, aii<l tlicy look forward to l)oin>? one day promoted 
to ancestor deities. Tliey are the i)riests wlio represent tin- 
people in the presence «»f the ancestor deities, and \vlu> are 
themselves re<;ardetl as semi-deities. In tiiem the cou- 
servatism of the people is concentrated, nften they receive 
divine worship even in tliis life.* Their power rests lirst 
of all on ancestor worsIiii>, and tlieii on tlie sword ; and they 
have no desire to abandon lucrative jiredatory raids. A 
chief in Samosir said to me «iuite Irankly, '• Why shouhl I 
become a Christian? Whence am 1 to <ret wealth and 
power if I fjive up wa<;ini,' war and huntin;4 slaves < The 
slave-holder, the tribal prince worshipped as a semi-deity, 
and the eai)rici(ms tvrant all see in Christianity a disa!;reeable 

... 

disturber of peace. The priests and ma«:icians are still more 
malicious enemies ; their trade is threatened with the loss 
of its enormous profits if those they have hitlierto deceived 
become (Christians. Kverywhere these men are inexorable 
enemies of the missionaries and their atlhercnts. Their 
whole influence, which is not small, tof,'ether with all their 
lying arts, is emphiyed to prevent the entrance of the (Jospel. 
Now these men ami the chiefs are the rulers; where they 
are oppcments it is very difficult to lead their subjects to 
Christianity and protect them afterwards. Converts wouhl 
find themselves involved in content i<m, war, law suits, j'ud 
no end of difficulties. The clianj^e is effected most smoothly 
where, as in mediaval missions, prince an«i people unani- 
mo\isly agree to accept the better religion, an event which 
has not been repeated in any comjjletc fashion in any mo<Iern 
mission field.^ Individual heathen who venture to make 

■ We are thinking of Africmi (tespots who feel tliiit th.ii tliioue is sliiikeii 
wlieii their sulijeots ln'coWic Ciiri.stiaii iiiul (^tMse to f,'ive them tlie usual 
idolatrous honour. The Inaiaii cliids are also honour.Ml ly tli.ir people 
like K'x's- It 'x scarcely possihle for .suhjects to lieeome Christians agaiusl 
the will of the despot ; at any ral.- a Christian coniniunily cannct [K-r- 
niaiieiitly prosj^^r in such an atmosphere. It U ahsolnt.ly necessary for the 
missionary to ol.tain intlueno.' over the heads of the trihe an-l give them 
special attention. I5y so doiuK he creates the conditions for successful 

results. 

- It neeii hardly He said tliat we arc not plc.nlins; for an outward secession 
of masses of pe.iplc. Bui it is not the final aim ol missioUii lu withdraw 
K 



I' 



Ue TIIK l,IVIX(! FORCES (IF THE (illSPF.I, 



!!l 



1 



a' 



. r! 



tlic clumge must l)i' prepared to endure tlie aufjer and 
liostilitv of their people and tlieir leaders. Those difficulties 
disapjjear only when <,'reat masses turn towanls the (Jospel, as 
in Sumatra, Xias, Celebes, and amonjj the Kols and Karens. 
Insiirlit into the ps}eholo;,'y of these heathen people whose 
reli^'ions thoii<,'ht is not individualistic hut coninuinistic sets 
the much abused methods of medijeval missions in a better 
li{,'ht than that in which they are usually placed. As to-day 
amonj,' animistic people, the media-vjd missionary was forced 
to aim at a decision from whole tribes and nations, .md it was 
only after these had decided ius a whole to acce[)t the new 
relijjion that the educative work of the Church began. 
Protestant missions have been usiwillinj^ to enter on this 
path, having an honest aversion towards it Jiut tlieir 
actual dealings with heathenism of a lower stage have 
involved them in embarrassment, (^uite apart from their 
intention and desire they have been and are being force»l to 
see national heathenism in its totality shattered by their 
labours and whole societies and peoples deciding for Christi- 
anity before they have all been inwardly renewed. Hence 
our grave <loubts and fears. The ilefect of papal missions 
was their failure to infuse the new spirit into the masses 
won outwardly. Hut Protestant missions surprised, not 

iiiilivi.lu.ils Irani tin; socifty ol' tlieir peojilc and lead them to (,'liristiaiiity. 
It seeks to briiij; the gifts uf the (Josim"! U< the whole nation, and ciuinot but 
rejoiee when the whole nation shows a readiness to receive tlietu. That can 
only happen where |.iiiiee ami jicojile are of one mind. The mission of 
coiir.,e does not lejeet individual seceders, who are of great iiiiiiorlance in the 
struggle with heathenism, hut it hopes for the harvest ,,|- the whole. The 
eommunistic views of the peo,,],. em-onrages the hope that once a movement 
towards Christianity l.igins. tlie people as a whole will effect the change; 
this of course will eii'ail new dangers and new duties for mission work. 
Alter sixteen years of patient Work l.y the London Missionary Society in 
Tahiti, King I'omore r-iscd Chrislianity, .it a stroke, to the religion of the 
.Slate heloie a single islander was baptised. H.chlcr, speaking of the old 
Indian Mission, vu s : ■■The natives of Uosehgosehiink, in a general mei'ting 
of council, were reaiiy to decide to pass over in a boily to thristianity. But 
Zeisberger did not agne, ,as he thought the action unevangelical. He 
declared that c.icli muM deiide in his own heart." People then were 
opposed to secession in the mass. To-lay the opinions of the Moravian 
brethren are dillerei.t, for llcchler blames ;^eisbeig«r, and .says that even he 
.It a later time laboured for the Christianising of the nation. 



HEATIIKXISM IN ATTITrOE OF olM'nSlTION Hr 

always joyfully, at tiic effect of their preacliiiifi, are now 
becomiiifj conscious that the lianlest |>art of tlioir work, the 
training of the individual In faith anil ( 'hristian life is after 
the nation as a wiiole has accepted the new faith, and must 
be prosecuted vi<^orously then. 

Over atjainst the warm, clear, moral purity of Christianity 
animistic heathenism stands out dark, loveless, scHish. We 
would expect the new religion to commend itself there. It 
invites them, even apart from any closer aci|uaintance with 
the Christian Cod, to put themselves un«ler the influence of 
His holy laws. The deeper we peer into the swamp of 
heathen barbarity the nnire reatly shall we be to think that 
these poor, misled creatures nuist, if only the clear mirror of 
the Divine Connnandments be held up to them, stretch out 
hands of desire for such purity. Hnt the experience of 
foreign missionaries is not so. The moral superiority of the 
Cttspel is not felt by the ^^ i-nist and only in rare cases is 
the starting point of ' ' uige there. Kven in those 

heathen Christian coi i s where there is a geimine 
Christian life the practi "hristian morality falls into the 

background behind the ..j.\ religious exercises. To appre- 
ciate the morals of Christianity requires a mciisure of 
spiritual intelligence u|) to which the converts, from the 
nature of things, nmst gradually grow. The dull eye of the 
heathen nuist be maile clear before he can see the matchless 
beauty of Cliristian morality. We have oidy to realise the 
true nature of heathenism to see that not there is the lever 
to be set. 

All heathen peoples are satisfied with the morals they 
have. Anyone who is not intimate with them and who 
listens to their beautiful proverbs and fables, who observes 
their national virtues and sees the indignatiim with which 
they condenui a thief, a deceiver, or an adulterer, would be 
led to believe that they had a knowleilge of right and wrong. 
They will hardly admit that the Christian conimandmentw 
have anything to say to them that is essentially new. They 
unreservedly accept the Christian moral law in principle, for 



! 

1! 



148 THE IJVIN(; FORCES OF THE CJOSPEL 

it gives them no impression of a superior monility. They 
assent cmpiiaticaily to the decalogue wlien it is announced 
to them. We missionaries often enough hear them say : 
"We knew all that long ago from our fa-thers." A heathen 
can speak with such moral conviction that an inexperienced 
preacher might almost think he had underestimated his 
moral capacity. Remnants of moral consciousness still 
exist in the heart of f e heathen such as enable it to 
«leceivc itself and others into the belief that it has the same 
moral law as Christianity. No entrance to the self-righteous 
heart of the heathen is found by extolling the morals of 
Christianity. Only, long after they have become Christians, 
they admit blushingly the lowness of heathen morals. Among 
civilised peoples the conviction of their own sutticient morality 
is perhaps still stronger. The religions of India, (Jhina, and 
Japan have produced notable virtues. If the missionary 
merely serves up moral sermons he will often enough be 
covered with scorn or repelled with anger. Listen to one 
who is a reliable authority on this matter, the Japanese 
heathen Christian Kanso Utschimura. Afti;r refemi; 
with some optimism to the fact that morality may be found 
even among Japanese heathen, he continues: "Christianity 
proves, by giving power to keep the law, that it is greater 
and higher than heathenism. It is heathenism plus life. 
The Christian religion is the spirit of the law. It alone 
works from within outwards. It is that for which heathen- 
ism has been searching and groping with tears. It not only 
shows us what is good, it makes ns good, for it leads us to 
the Eternal (Jood itself. It not only shows us the right 
way, it gives us life ; it not only provides the rails, it [)rovide8 
the locomotive. Human experience has found no other 
name under heaven whereby we must be saved than the 
name of Jesus. Of moral doctrines we have enough ; any 
doctor of philosophy can furnish them for good payment, 
and we do not need to learn from a professor that we should 
not steal. Christianity to me, at least, is deliver.mce from 
sin through the reconciling grace of the Son of Cod." ' 

' Kanso Utschiuiuni, " Wie ich ein Christen wurde, " p. U3. 



HEATHENISM IN ATTITIDE OF OPPOSITION 14!) 



- Aniiniatic hcatliun have nut entirely loKt the knowledge «>f 
good and evil, but their conscience is ^)crvcrted. Their 
mind assents to the Christian coniniandnients as self-evident, 
because serviceable for social life. Hut the conscience does 
not react on them because no oiu' Mels that they apply to 
him. No moral preachin}; can regenerate a conscience 
|)erverted by national custom, nor any moral example, not 
even the example of the Holy Son of Man Himself. Any 
nobler metal in heathen morals lacks power of enforcement. 
The heathen does not take seriously the virtues al)out which 
he speaks so Huently. Most of the moral obligations in 
their social life spring from egoism. Self-preservation forces 
them to set up some police regulations.^ Such virtues are 
really brilliant vices, threadbare cloaks which barely conceal 
the moral emptiness within. 

But should the missionary preach to the heathen of the 
virtues of the heart — love, mercy, meekness, honesty — his 
words would be to them as an unknown tongue whereof no 
one had the key. To inculcate love for one's neighbour can 
make no impression on men who are cannibals and head- 
hunters. To hold up chastity before an unchaste people is 
as useless as to show good soap to the unclean. A chief 
with a harem of sixty wives was made an enemy by the 
missionary extolling the grandeur of marriage. It is useless 
to demonstrate the vulgarity t>f lying to men addicted to 
lying.^ The hearers of a moralising preacher may agree with 



' Merensky says of the Transvaal Ba.siito that geltishne-ss has taught liim > 
make arrangements for the security of life and iiroperty. Tlieft, outrage, 
and ii.jury are therefort- severely punishe<i, but not from any sense of com- 
mon intei ; ,ts or righteousuess. Wlierever they are not deterred liy legal 
restraint*, as in regard to the foreigner, they loh and steal and murder 
without compunctiou. 

' Meronsky tells of hia first meeting with Umswasi, King of Swa.siland. 
After listening to God's (.unimandments he exclaimed : " The commandment, 
"Thou .shalt not kill," docs not suit me and my jieople. 1 must I'e aljlc to 
kill when I want to kill. How am 1 to |>unish a mi-ssenger ivhn does not 
promptly execute his message, and what arc my soMicrs to eat if military 
exi>e(litious are to cease ( " The missionaries' explanation that we must keep 
(iod's commandments and that Christian nations have hecome great and 
mighty by keeping them, he broke in upon with the words, " We Swasi have 






:i 



ir.n THE rjVTNO FORCES OF THE GOSPEL 

him for politeness sake, for so custom demands,* but no 
deeper impression is made. 

One thing he may secure. His hearers will admit, " all 
you say is good and needful for my neighbour, but it is 
superfluous for myself, for I am good. I am an upright as 
that, stretching a finger of his right hand into the air. No 
heathen will readily iidmit that he lacks a right disposition. 
Their self-blindness and self-righteousness is incredible.^ 
Chiefs in Sumatra, who were notorious for predatory raids 
ant' -nielty, who conducted slave-hunts in the basest fashion, 
and caused innocent persons to die in prison of starvation, 
would never admit t<i mc that they had done wrong. They 
iissured me that they were absolutely right ; they were acting 
in viiulication of just interests, self-defence, etc.^ The con- 
always so <loii«." An exfitni raiman ans'^rered Kunzf, the missionary, " Yes 
my heart is bad, and 1 mean it to remain bad ; I side with the lie. Why do 
yon come here to disturl) us ! Why do you speak of .Jesus ? We are Barak 
l>eoiile, therefore be silent." 

' Nothing more (h'prcsses tlie mi,s.sionary than this tremendous politeness 
which turns aside all one says : " What you .say is very jjood, very true ; yes, 
we are very bad and must be chanpeil ; our custom is from the ilcvil.'ete." 
0|(en contradiction can be more easily overcome than such slipjK'ry lies. 
Politeness belongs to the lyinf; nature of heathenism. The Animist is made 
lK)lite by fear of the vengoance of those who arc slighted, by fc^ar of secret 
I)owcrs, of th« soul jiowcr of his fellows, of curses, of evil intluences and the 
like. For the same re.ison he often exhibits an astonishing power of self- 
control. The virtues of politeness and self-control spring therefore from 
unadulterated egotism and are in point of fact "brilliant vices." 

- A l'a)(uan reidicd to the missionary Hanke : "You are always siieaking 
about sin, but 1 have no sin ; I do not keep comiiany with strange women ; I 
am an excellent man." The Congo negroes belipve<l that the missionary 
Richards was a sinner and that the neighbouring tribes did evil, but they 
absolutely refused to admit such things of themselves. The Kctshuans 
exhibit the utmost self-righteousness. They admit that sinners may be 
found among the Buslinien ami Hottentots, but there are none among the 
r.etsh\ians. The Tapiians in Dutch New Guinea admit that all other tribes 
exccjit themselves are bad. 

'■> When the missionary Richards explained the ten commandments to the 
Congo negroes they acknowledged them t( be very go.Hl. and maintained 
that they ha.1 never transgressed them. i negro who was caught in the 
act of stealing was asked whether he had i.ot stolen, answered indignantly, 
" Do you call that stealing. The white man v.r.its to brand me a thief and 
deprive me of my good name." The preaching of the law proves totally un- 
impressive. 



■Wi:::. i-WE 



4 »-i^-it "■ , 



HEATHENISM IX ATTITl'DE «>F OPPOSITloX ir.l 

science does not answer to tin- purer note of the Divine coni- 
mandnient. Wluit help can moral proiuhinp \i\\v \\\ sikIi 
incrrained sins of custom ( ' Men who are utterly hrutalised 
have lost susceptibility for true morality. 

M<!nvl preaehin<; can make no impression on animistic 
heathen, and that chiefly hecause their moral and their un- 
moral ideas are both rooted in the relif^ious world of ideas 
which rests (Ui animism. So lon<i as their minds are tilled 
with aniuustic ideas they nnist remain unaffected by morals 
of another type.^ When the head-hunter strikes off the head 
of his victim and ha.i<;s it »ip in his hut, he believes that by 
so doiufj he will gain for himself the vital jiower of the slain 
nuin, an elixir of life. Such an act is only worthy of praise. 
The cannibal firmly believes that he is doin;j a <,'ood work 
whicli yields him " life. ' How can the heathen admit that 
they are doiufi; wron<; in all that brutal eiiotism of theirs so 
long as they are not convinced of the error of their pre- 
supposition ^ Deep-rootetl diseases like these are not cured 
by a treatment of the symptoms. When a married pair hiive 
no children it is a sii^n that their souls are not in harmony 
and the nuirriage must be dissolved. So lonj? as niarria.iie is 
viewed in that li<,'ht it is utterly useless to proclaim its 
sacredness. Animistic reli<jioii sanctions lies am! selfishness. 
If a Hattak, who has cruelly killed a child with the view of 
pre|)arin<^ a charm from its corpse,'* be reproached for the 
brutality of his deed he would simply say, or, perhaps, bein<i 
a polite man, would only think, you <h) not understand ; your 
customs may not allow that, for you have other nu'ans of 
procurinjj life ; but to us it is salutary. The cvan}j;elist 
cannot appeal to a conscience based on such misj^uidcd 
relimous convictions. 



' WIkmi Moltiit .-iskiMl one of liis Hitslinaii (.inviits il \\v lii'i iicvtr Olt a 
boating i>l tin' lieart, a i'oii'<ci"Usni'Hs nf f,Miilt or ii's]Kiiisi)iility in his sintiil 
alioniinatioiis, lii' answercl, " Mow coiilil we li.l aiiytliinj,' ^ We ilil not 
know that an inv i^iliU' eyi' was scein;, us ami an invisible car was hiaiin;; ns. 
You I'ounii us liki' wild liiasts, not like niPii." 

- The licathi'U Christians heconie m w men morally only so far as tlicy 
succeed in vaniiuishiug the animistic idea ol the soul by Christian nioiii's nf 
thought. ^''Z. p. 68f. 



r" f 



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til • 



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41 


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152 TIIK LrVFN(J FOHCKS OF THK (JOSPEL 

Wherever moral eniotioim arc met with in heathenism they 

have for the most part their origin in fear, not however fear 

of (i<mI, hut of evil spirits, fear of the vin;ilant aneestorw or of 

the Hoiils of offended fcllowmcn. Xo Hattak will readily 

venture on a false oath, heeause he fears the vengeance of 

the ancestors or the deities. Adultery is scarcely found on 

Nias, at least among the conmion people, because the offended 

party insists upon the penalty (»f a cruel death.* They do 

not willingly perform anything unusual, heeause the attenti«)n 

<tf the ancestors would be <lrawn to it.^ Popular as stealing 

is, the art is practised only in secret, for the detected thief 

knows that a heavy i»eiiance is awaiting him. Adultery 

among the Hattaks and many other Indonesian peoples is 

very risky— at least among the conunon people, the upper 

man can do anything— for the adulterer caught in the act 

may be struck down, " like a pig in the rice-field." 

Chastity is not regarded as a virtue, but a man is afraid to 
touch his neighbour's wife. Xo one in any given case will 
shrink from nuirder, for little value is put upon life ; but only 
the strong and powerful have full freedom to kill. The same 
fear which makes the heathen cruel and brutal makes him 
in other circumstances put a curb upon his passions. No one 
who knows the real state of things will be misled by the 
statistics of crime, for egoism makes them cautious. Fear 
dictates a prudence which has little to do with' morals. The 
Animist cannot conceive tiie idea of a man being impelled by 
an inward motive to do good or to avoid evil. 

Custom is the authority to which the Animist submits.^ 
Wherever the moral law of the Christian is set by the side of 
heathen custom he does not recognise its superiority. But 

' In comio.tio.i will, tliis siilijcct the state of matters is exactly the same 
on Nms a,, in Siunatra. Thi^ tni^-lity can .i(. anything. Tlif mural conunan-l- 
ments pnaclicd witli sitoli .■iiiplu-^is art- liinding only on the dHenc'lnss 
ninltitmli-. 

•■' The w.,rst thin- that one ran say of a liattak is that he has done some- 
thin^' that was nf\,..- ii„ne hefoie. soniithiiiK " mdicard of. " That does not 
mean that he has dune something' had, l.nt somerhinj; that violates the 
tradition. 

'^ rf. y. Vh', f. 



HEATHENISM IN AlTITl'DE OK OPPOSITION l'.:i 



wherever, an often Imppfus, it coiiioh iiiti> i-ollision witli 
ciiBtom, inurnl preachiii}; has no effect upon liini, f*o Ktnjj iih 
the custom, which the aiicestoi-s protect, w still respecte*!, 
that is to say, so hmj; as the people are doniiiuited by ancestor 
worship ami ancestor belief. Nay, they will take up a dis- 
tinctly hostile attitude. The perception of this is suthcient 
to chill moral preachers in the heathen worhl. Their preaching 
thus cannot fail to wountl heathen feeling;. Many sacreil 
customs are assailed by (.'hristianity, such as poly<jjiuiy, 
slavery, revenge for bloodshed, witchcraft, child nnirriage, 
judgments of (»od. Inunoral things such as these are lot 
felt to be immoral, but rather holy traditi<ms. The (iospcl, 
from its first announcement, arrays itself against such usages; 
it does so even witluuit any direct polemic ; aiul thereby it 
gives grievous offence, and not only to the evil disposecl.* 
They do not deny that the missionary adorns his "custom. " 
The walk of the messenger may commend his words, but if 
he ask the natives to change their customs he is told that 
every land has its own customs with which it is satisfied. 
" We are Battaks," the heathen of Sumatni saitl, setting aside 
in this way every appeal to their conscience. That settled 
the matter for them quite satisfactorily. When Battak 
evangelists visited the savage I'akpak tribe they discovered 
that the Pakpaks were in the habit of strangling their parents 
and eating them when they became old. The Christians were 
shocked, and upbraided them with their inhunmnity ; but the 
Pakpaks, with the best conscience possible, replied, " F2very 
j)eople has its own custom, and that is ours," and the thing 
was settleil.^ All moral influence rebounds, as from a rock, 
fronj this "custom," a custom which is a far harder tyrant 
than the customs of the most conservative of Christian 

' A Niasser i-epliod to the mLssioimry : " At your spooeli oiif's liair rosi' on 
end. If you hail only conic sooner lieloii' our fathers liiui fixici our ciistoia 
we shouhi not then have kn .«n these cp.^tonis of ours, which are now so 
difticult to lay aside." 

-The Bangala on tln^ l'\<\nr Congo are eaf.'er eannil'als. Tliey are not 
ashamed of it, and said witli all naivete to the luilinnant missionary : " You 
eat fowls, we eat men, where is the dillerence." A Batlak jiroverli says : 
" Kvery region has its own products, and every land its own ciistoni." 



I 






hi 



1 



!!' 



t*. * 
if . ■.' 



154 THE LIVINd FORCES OF THE OOSI'EI. 

countricH, Ix^cauwc it m biised upon relifjion. Here the Gospel 
HtrikcH ujriiiimt tlit HtroiifjeHt tower of the lieiitlien fortress. 

When a lieatlien is confronted with Christian morals he 
does not see the good of them.* lint even when they are 
brought home to him and he owns their exiellente, he is by 
no nuMuiN willing to make them his own. They demand of 
him a conflict with the national customs and with his own 
heart which he had no desire to enter upon, which he cannot 
enter upon so long as no power is given to him from out8i«le 
himself. When I was preaching the (iospel among the 
|)cople of Samosir, then entirely heathen, a thoughtful man 
who regularly attended our service came to me one day and 
said, " I would like very much to Income a Christian, for F 
see that the new way is good, but I am nt)t, and never will 
be able to do so." " Why not,' I asked, " if you sec that the 
Christian religion is g(.od. " He answered, " You have often 
told us that we must forgive our enemies ; that (Jod will not 
f<trgive our faults if we do not forgive (mr debtors. Now, 
I have an enemy who formerly killed my son, an«l I cannot 
forgive him ; so I can never be a Christian." This man, 
thereiore, for the time anyhow, was held back by the moml 
consecjuences of the (Jospel. The ethical demands of Chris- 
tianity make it very difficult for the heathen, who has grown 
up in sin and caprice and is fettered by custom, to accept 
the new religion, even when he sees it to be true. 

One of the main «.ppononts of Christian morality is the 
determinism that adheres to Animism.- He who knows the 
power it hiis over their minds will despair of mere moral 
preaching. The Animist may !« forced to admit that his 
walk is defective, but remains tinnly convinced that, just as 
he is with all his faults and evil habits, he was created by 
(Jod ; that his disposition is foreordained and fixed unchange- 
ably, and that he cannot change his conduct in the very least. 
What then is the use of trying to persuade him to change his 

' Tlie missionaries UM the l.eathc.i oC Samosir that thpy hrou-ht them a 
new doctrine, which had th. powor o( so changinR the heart thlt one conhi 
be always honest. This prospect, however, did not attract, and a chief put 
the characteristic ,,>iestion. " What is the reward for beini? honest « " 

'■^ cj: p. 107 w. '' 



HEATIIKXISM IN ATTITrOK OF OPPOSITION ir.r. 

ways, tind to give up tlii» or tliat win. (^uite lopienlly, lie 
bidw you, "apply to (Jod wlio porlmps onn umko nic dif- 
ferent, I cannot, for I was rroated the man I am." The 
uiiHHionary iw startled at first l>y the eynieal ehallenjjo of 
some Hcoundrel, " pruy earnestly to (Jod that lie may chaiiKC 
my heart." Hut, m a deterniinist, the man cannot think 
otherwise; it is not frivolity, hut the logical outcome of hia 
religion. If we liogaii by preaching repentance, we wouhl, 
in the opinion of the heathen, he applying to the wrong 
address, for man cannot change his heart. As fatalism w 
widely diffuse*! over the earth, these statements will apply to 
many niiHsioii tieh'- For the preaching of morality, it m 
neecKsary that the hearers l)clieve in man's moral freedom 
and responsibility. The Animist, however, is not free ; he is 
driven by his htt, that primal gift which predestined one to 
l)e an adulterer, another to lie a murderer, a third to be u 
thief. Hence, h feels no guilt, lie dreads no punishment 
in the other worhl, and on earth he has only t(» beware of 
the vengeance of those he has offendetl. Fatalism must he 
broken up, and the heart won to faith in the living (lod and 
in moral freedom before we can s[»eak to these over-religious 
men of any change of mind. 

Heathenism cannot be reached from the luoi.il side. 
Christianity may bring a perfect morality ; but its moral 
powers, which renew the soul, have, at the first, no effect 
upon the heart of the animistic heathen. Utschimuni is not 
the only one who testifies that it is not the morality of the 
Gospel which attracts. An Indian mis.sion!'-y tells us that he 
made trial of hih hearers with the law. They became angry 
and said, " let him preach the law to his own people who have 
much need of it." " I have often, ' he says, " tried to preach 
the law, that is, to awaken the knowlc<lge of sin so as to 
reveal to them the need of a Saviour. Hut I have never been 
able to forget an answer which 1 got from a heath(!n in great 
anger. He said, 'We have a religion which makes great 
demands u\!<>n us in money, cattle, sacrifices, mortifications, 
fasts, prayers, washings, pilgrimages. We meet .all these 
demands. VVe have a king who imposes taxes on us, 



m 



*■ 



!.''•« TiIK LrV^IX(J lolU'KS OF THK d^^l'M 

and iloiimiitiH iiiunoy. yraiii, jiml toinpulsor ' -orvii i M'- 
do all that lie u-nks. Wo liavo a „'(tvfrmnc if '\;,. i. ! i^ss 
UM with ixilitTiiitii and politr airuii},'tiiioiit.H. V , proan anil 
bciir it all. And n»»w y«Mi comr Mith friKlitiu! dtn :i.l^ 
wliicli put all the othcr.H in tho shado. It is cruel to torture, 
with the tem.rn of the law, the heathen who have ^Town up 
in fear and terror all their life. 

The (iospel has little pnwpect of lM!in<; welcomed if it 
eonies as a demand. The «ifts of the (;ospeI mii.st (irst he 
planted, and spring' up as ^ood see.l in the benundied heathen 
heart l.efore that heart can Ix- capahle of nioial transforma- 
tion. The man who seeks t(. move the rock of heuthenism 
with morals is usin^ the wronjr lever. Its perverted morality 
i« the outcome of its perverted relijjion. The first error was 
it« departiu}; from (Jod. [.et that fniida.nental defect be 
remeilied, atul the inunoral consecjuemos will pa.s8 away (»f 
themselves. When wo restore t.. the h. ,thon the true God 
the living power of that (;od will suppress the f ise morality. 



n. AGENCIKS THAT CLKAH THP] WAY 
FOR CMKISTIANITV. 

Our in(piiry has shown that the animistic heathenism, 
misled as It is both in morals and in reliirion, views with 
coldness and distrust, the Cliri.stian relif,M<.n which it cannot 
understand, and f,.r which it has no desire. Hut the success 
of foreifjn missions jrrows from year to year, and rhristianitv 
has now been accej.ted, not only by individuals in defiance oV 
U.e will „i their people, but by entire tribe, an.' peoples 
Ihe .piestion now .-irises. What is it that smooth e way 
lor the preaching of the (Jospel in .spite of all obsta.-les what 
IS It that opens the door that was formerly closed an.! -rives 
It e»Urance to the souls of heathen peoples ^ Whai i it"that 
draws the attention of the indifferent and self-s.it j.fied 
heathen to the (Jospel as somethinf? worthv of their con- 
sideration i The fortes of the (iospel that become effectiy. 
in heathenism, and the way in which they act. will be dis 



A(JKNrli;> THAT t|j;Ai illh \Y 



!■>/ 



i'ii>simI III the chapter tliu follow ' >ur prtHi-n il>(< < 

trii f tli«- i>'i'|i!initorv iiii n'licfs tli.it In 'in to ilK-mm < 
ami imliM'hiuli* to (><mI« iiir-<sii^( St ixlary |, ««•> 
r <>♦ coiirKi', in union witli ilivinr |M»nri uui in ;ni 
tiifiri. <it'(| works, us far is |>. -li !c, > nmjili 
"Nplifaide sofontl lausow. In i"'^>|M'l vliich 
nutted t«i liis jn'o|i|i> (•"iitaiii i (liMi!< \\«r !• 
tlie wdilil, wliii'li iM tut ultih itt n'u < it 
the < liuri'li liiMiircMi vM-tild In ^iTit>i*>4_v at Ij 
to take I iti (•.iiiniiliMriHiiu, an crtVttivi an 
(!o.sp«'l, tiif iiMtiiral niftiiiitiiiL' 'uu-tH. smli 
law and lan^'iiam' of tlu- iiniiii; nipire ti 
tlu- faeilitiw of iiittTi-otirst ant; <• iini- 
(liviiirly autlioiiMHl reliszton. In iiu- 
purely spiniual is well ju* -. tiilar fa; 
To he able to iirow Mto ilear relit 
powers ' 
natural 



turai "• 

MS e* 

.ry. I till 

r he faiU'd 

,, s of the 

tlif unity of 

iver>al |K'aee, 

iintxm<» for a 

rk f to-day, 

at k also. 

|inrel,% piritual 



I. 



the « itsfU'l we ui' 't e»de:iv«>ur to dis it>se the 
•e.s with vliH-li they at- usMtci ted. The >,'uidin;: 

hand of '«! i.- in tli'i^ con rence 

We r IK'W iiiiiit 1 ,vitli jnofusion of most diverHc 

cause- umI etteet II mteii 't I wiilt one iii(<ther. For the 

(fratm finifi- iiien- i~- 

iiidividu il Christian. 

of natio! - (iiiideil 

endcavoi- to 'irini; 

InHuenees s far :> 

events that are ■•till 
Misery ;n n u: ■■ 



iriiiusly <!• 

llXvTTDit. \i 



t' • e.\perii 



anii !.H! 
of tl f* ei 
nes^ mil 
is tt<' 
heathci 
^reat iii 
■Htlt heat 
Htuallv 



oath 



opt in the life of the 

III I the nioveineiitrt 

.Missions we shall 

iiito the lii^lit 111 main preparatory 

hat is possible in j(ulu;inf( «d' historical 

(iiiinjj their coufHC. 

ornis is the insej)arable attendant of 
ti ,i. Christiaii.s at home have little iilea 
lass and fri;,'htful severity of the wretched- 
iieathen peoples that cry to heaven. There 
oed to refute the le<?ends about the " happy 
tented j«»yous children of nature, fiut the 
misery naturally and necessarily comiected 
can hardly be siitticiently known, and it is 
•rted in the accounts of thcorisers who are 
tsiken up with the structure of heather thou}j;ht than 
the practical icsuits that tiow from it. I'lie yrcatcr 









t: r 



i.'i« tiif: l[vin(j forces of the (jospel 

number of licutlicn Battaks are so poor that they are only 
kept from Ntarvation by the luxuriant vof,'etatioii of the 
tropicH. The propertied classes levy 200 per cent, from 
the poor, who are compelled to mortjjaf,'e their rice to them, 
with the result that most of tlicm become their slaves whom 
they can deal with as they please. Slaves are called 
"children of cats," "children of pijrs," and are often worse 
treated than cattle, which are of value. The abominations 
of African slavery are well known. When their power 
permits the chiefs are inhuman tyrants. No one has any 
idea of conjpassion for the oppressed, and the defenceless 
are tortured almost to death. Woe to the widow and the 
(•rphan, the weak and the oppressed, for heathenism j^rants 
them no advocate. Animism dazzles us with its interesting,' 
world of thouf,dit, but what an amount of misery, of tears 
ami blood, it (H)urs out on its adherents. Manstealing and 
murder in the service of spirit-worship, revenge for blood- 
shed, persecution of witches, cruelty, falsehood, deception, 
unrestrained covetousness, are its unavoidable accompani- 
ments. Animism compels the heathen systematically to 
torture their sick,' it degrades woman, poisons family life 
ami the training of children, it leads to the basest sclHsh- 
ness, to the exploiting of the defenceless, and the reckless 
struggle of all against all. It robs the people of peace, 
embitters men's lives, and makes them melancholy and 
stupid. 

The heathen have a dim sense of their misery. They ilo 
not know the [)ois(>noiis root from >vhich their want of peace 
an«l thei; torment grows; but the consequences of their 
heathenism lie heavy on them. Men are now coming to 

' I)ia..as,. is causi:.! by evil spirits. Hence the treatment of the sick aims 
at driving out the evil spirits. Tliey torture the poor sick man by surround- 
HiK him with frightful uproar, hurrying liim from one house to another, 
giving hira nauseating or pungent medicines to drink, enveloping liiin in 
thick, foiil.smelling smoke-all to drive out the .spirit that causes the 
disease. The effect of cours.-, often is that the patient dies under the treat- 
ment. CerUin i.atients, tliose, for example, seized by cl.,.lera, and lepers 
are left to themselves through fear of infection. The Kols are just as heart- 
Uss towards the sick because evil spirits are the cause oi the disease 
(Jelliiighaus, " Kols," p. 69). 



\(JKN(iKS THAT CLKAR TIIK WAY 



\->9 



them who Hynipathisc with their misery and are eagerly 
deniroiis to alhiy it. The oppressed liear a messaije whieli 
they do not yet understand, but they pereeive that it means 
for tliem salvaticni. The i^reat misery in whicli tliey drag 
out their wretched existence opens their ears to a messajje 
in which tliey have as yet no relii^'ious inti-rest. For this 
cause the tJospel has nuicii f^reater dilliculty in Kndiufj its 
way to the hearts of the nilinjj and well to-'lo chisses. The 
sense of misery prepares tiie way of tlie (io^pel. With tlie 
instinct of the cliihl they divine that tliere is help here even 
thougli they are not j)romised wiiat they at first exjHct. 
Many false ideas may still Iw mixed up with their expecta- 
tions ; nay, they nuiy be wholly on a false track ; hut the 
ears and hearts of the wretched are oi)ened to the fitreign 

^message. So was it with many of those who appealed to 
.lesus. They sought healing for their diseased Ixnlies and 
found something of infinitely greater value. Among the halt 
and maimed Jesus had his most attentive hearers. The 

HJospel then as now was preached to the poor, and trials 
taught men to bear in mind its sayings. The sense of misery, 
deepeneil and purified, may ultinuitely lead to the acceptance 
of Christianity ; its first function is to create a willingness 
to hear ; it kindles a slight hope in hearts that ittherwise 
wcmld have nt) desire t*) know anything of the message. 

Among the Hattaks, as well as on N'ia.s, slaves and the 
socially oppressed were the first to lend a willing ear to the 
Gospel and ultimately to venture on its acceptance. The 
chiefs and the well-to-do for long would have nothing to do 
with Christianity because it promised them no gain ; but the 
poor and the oppressed soon cried to the missionaries and 
evangelists. Come and help us. That is more or less the 
experience ot all missions. In India the i-uling nations have 
no desire to hear the « iospcl, but the t)i)pressed Aboriginals, 
the Kols, and Santals are led by their great nee»l to be 
attentive hearers of the soothing Word. That is several 
times attested of the Kols by Jdlinghaus and Nottrott» A 

' The .lavanese of central .lava cinwilcd licic and tliere to Christianity. 
One luolive in thia renmrkable movement seems to have been that the people 



;■( 



tt>>'.. 



1«<> THK IJVIXlJ FORCKS OF THE (JOSPEL 

Kimilar tcstiniony i.s given hy MisHioiiary llocli of tlie liasler 
missioii-tieid in India. At first tliese people liave no under- 
standing of the spiritual blessinjj^ of the (.ospei, or it is lost 
sight of in their eagerness for temporal benefits wliirh they 
hope to get by becoming Christians. The standing answer 
which people of this sort give to the (|uesti«»n, why do they 
want to iK'come Christians is, we want to prosper. That is 
probably one of the reasons why the uncivilised peoples of 
to-day who are Imrdeiied with social misery and pain are 
more susceptible to the Co.spel message than the satiated 
civilised peoples. The experience in the mission-field is the 
same as in (Christendom : earthly misery causes men to 
stretch out their hands for the (Jospel gifts. 

Part of that n)isery is famine. The famines in India have 
repeatedly contributed to the spread of the (iosjH'l. Many 
critics have ridiculed the " rice ( "hristians," and in some cases 
perhai)s justly, in such calamities large masses of heathen 
see, perhaps for the first time, mercy, compassion, and 
deliverance, though not among these of their own religicm ; 
that makes them attentive to the Christianity they have 
hitherto niisjudgefl. In cases of disease heathenism utterly 
fails, and the sick have a bitter cup of misery to drain. 
-Medical help sought from missions often prepares the way 
of the (Jospel, as we hear from most mission-fields. Thus 
Missionary ^undermaii'i declares that, on the Island Xias, 
diseases and the me«licine dispensed by the missions are often 
effective mission agents, and in heathen regions the healing 
of the sick is often the means of leading to Christianity 
the otherwise inaccessible lieathen. In the care of patients 
also, missions are following in the footste})s of their Lord who 
turned away none, not even those who sought Him only as 
the Physician of the body. The treatment of the sick should 
not be made dependent on conditions. Mi.ssioirs freely give 
what they have freely received. That (io»i owns, often in a 
surprising way, the medical services of His messengei-s proves 

iioticwl that tliu Cliristiivris crmld n.i 1oii>;.t l.o oi.|>r.>Hso(l and tricked by tlie 
chiefs, l.iit were rof;arded l.y t\u Koveiimifiil -.ut h^iviii- tlic same rii^hta as 
the Mtihoniiiieilatih. 



A(JKNXME8 THAT CI.KAW THK WAY 



161 



that disease and the help it i^ets have tiieir phice in (jod's 
phm (if savinjT the nationH. 

Before the lieatheii divine the connection lietween their 
irreligion and their misery they are heartily sick of tiie fruits 
of it. This point of view must determine onr judj^nient. 
The misery nnder which the heathen j^roan, and whose pres- 
sure drives tliem to the (Josjicl of redemption, is a fruit of 
animistic heathenism. They are reapini^ what they them- 
selves ami their lathers have sown. Iloch says of Indian 
heathenism : " The anarchies tinder which these people 
suffer are in f^reat piirt a fruit of Indian heathenism. It is, 
therefore, to be welcomed as a si<jfn i>f jirojjrcss that at lenjjth 
their eyes are opening to the disadvantages of their iidieritcd 
relif^ion, and that they are l)e<jinnin<i; to see that hcalin<:; for 
all tl"»ir Bull'crinjis is to he found only in Christianity. We 
nee(' ' -t be surprised by the fact that it is outward distress 
which makes them think of passin<j over to ( 'liristianity. 
We know what a mi<rhty i»ower the necessities of this life 
have in making men snsceittible to the (Jospel. Moreover, 
the things which according to their poor imderstandings they 
hope chielly to find in Christianity are in themselves un- 
objectionable. On the contrary, they a»e valuable and 
desirable blessings whicli are necessary to an existence worthy 
of man ; nay, they are blessings that must be described as 
fruits of Christianity, and as - ■•.'u 'tave their (lod-appointeil 
significance for the evangelisii • .1 he heathen world. The 
manifold blessings which this - owes to Christianity un- 
mistakably reveals, even to those afar off, the riches of the 
Gospel, and its powers of blessing for the renewal of man- 
kind." 

The sufferings of uncivilised peoples are increased by their 
wellnigh continmms wars, tribal feuds, and revenge for 
bloodshed, for " peace they know not." The longing for 
peace on Sumatra and N'ias has often contributed to nuikc 
those weary of war willint; to accept the (iospel. The 
promise "peace on earth" has to them a pleasant sound, 
and the longing for outward peace plays a large part in the 
opening of their ears to its conditions. 
I, 



M 

my, 



162 THE LIVIN(; KORCRS OF THE GOSPEL 

All tliis misery is as a ploiifjlisliarc hreakiii}; uj) the hard 
earth. It imist not ho supposed that in Pr >testant missions 
the miserable are received into the church simply because 
they feel themselves to lie miserable, and have a dim hope of 
there Hn<lin<,' help. Protestant missions do not preach such 
a social f,'()spel. But the fjreat misery of the hei! it-en world 
prci)arcs the way, and is an ally of niissions. It calls atten- 
tion to a power that has appeared upon the scene with a 
remedy. This remedy is of a nature which the oppressed 
heathen cannot in the meantime understand. It attacks the 
evil at the root ; it removes not all the world's misery but 
it does remove its bitterness. The sense of misery can thus 
make a breach in the wall of indifference surroiuidinj? the 
heathen heart, throu<,di which the announcement of the 
Saviour may find its way within. 

Among the providential pioneers of the Gospel must be 
also reckoned the lonjiinj; for education, which is frequently 
f(«uid in the heathen world to-day. Wherever it exists 
it may be. ome a jx.werful call to listen to the missionary 
as the representative of imposing knowledge. The desire 
for education, whose power they feel in contact with 
Western nations, is frequently shown both by civilised and 
uncivilised peoples. In India, China, and, above all, in 
Japan, the need for enlightenment and knowledge has con- 
quere<l the traditional dislike to what is foreign. Sanguine 
people have bunt thereon great hopes for the victory of the 
(JosiK'l, hopes for the most part unfulfilled. A people may 
appropriate the blessings of Christianity without taking over 
their source, as in Japan, where education is prized simply 
as a means of power. Missions have taken their share of 
this work, but oidy in isolated cases has the desire for 
education lerl the aspirant to the root of truth. The course 
of things will probably be the same in China. And in India 
where missions have always taken special pains to spread cul-' 
ture and enlightenment, the desired fruits have not appeared. 
The conditions are more favourable among uncivilised 
peoples. In their former seclusion they thought themselves 



A(JENCIES THAT CLKAR THE WAY 



16:) 



singularly wise,^ but the invamon of Europoau culture haH 
forced on thcni the hunihlint,' knowkHlge of their ijjnorance.^ 
The desire awoke to gain some of tlic valuable knowledge 
of the white man. Many of the aninii.stic notions suffer 
badly from the enlighfcening work of education. Where the 
heathen have no interest in the (Jospel message they are 
eager to be instructed by the missionary in usefid knowledge. 
They prize him for his wisdom ; they attach importance to 
his words ; they are willing to learn of him. That o|>ens a 
wide door to mission work. Though the aged U\\ that they 
are too ohl to learn, the young men conic willingly for 
instruction. That is a glorious opportunity for making them 
acquainted with the gifts of the (Jospel. The evangelising 
of a district in Sumatra usually begins with the heathen 
building a school and asking a teacher for themselves and 
their children. That mostly happens not from ;inv «lesire 
for salvation, at least where the petitioners are as yet 
ignorant of the contents of the new message. In many 
cases it is simply a desire for e<lucation which they think 
valuable. But that gives the opportunity of instructing them 
and leading them to Christianity. The state «»f matters is 
similar on Nias, and in most mi.ssioiis of Netherland In<lia. 
It is not Hkely that all the young |)coplc in tiic school will 
bec(mie Christians, but the school has opened a way into 
a province hithert(» closed.^ 

As heathenism is ignorance and error, Christianity can \^e 
recommended as a bearer of wisdom and knowletlge. That 
is very often doi^ -, .lellinghaus testifies of the Kols : 
" What made them specially susceptible to Christianity was 
their <leep feeling and honest admission that they were 
'dark 'and like stu|)id wandered sheep in this bewildering 

' Almost every um-iviliseii people iiiailitain tlmt llicy are llie n.il men. 
Even a people on aueli a low level as the mimiitaiii iMmni cull lliemM-lves 
Haukhoin, i.e. men, true men. The Niassers ilo the same. 

'•^ When the Huttaks see any jiroilnet nt edueation that evokes ll-.eir 
wonder they exclaim : " We Hattaks arc still hull'iiloes." 

•'The negroes on the Congo reccivftl the lU[ilist !ni»»iomiii.» with '^n-w 
heartiness. Most of them ilesireil to learn to read atni write. It was alt. r 
wards discovered that they liopeil to he made ri.-h and distinguished liy this 
magic art. Still their desin. lor knowledge opened the land to the Uos|iel. 






m 



r ^m 



164 TIIK IJVIN(J FORCES OF THE GOSPEL 



life. Wc have every roaMon to presume that their two ehief 
motivcH were a lon«jin<j for deliverance from the fear and 
worHhip of demons, and ihe hope of ohtainin«^ through the 
nuHsionary help and counsel in their precarious possessions, 
and education and instniction for themselves and their 
brethren." It is reported of the Waganda that the desire 
for education brought them in crowds to ('hristianity, and 
that they were dissatisfied with the rival Roman Church, 
because it did not sutficiontly meet their need of education.' 
A universal zeal for learning was awakened in the Abo tribe 
in the Camcroons, and brought many to the missionary in 
spite of the vehement opposition of heathenisn>. 

We often read in mission reports that in the first period 
of mission work in a heathen region, children and youths 
develop a surprising zeal for learning. Thus it is reported 
of the province Zoba (Sumatra) that soon after the advent 
of the first missionary heathen chiMrcn and youths could not 
do enough in learning eitiuT inside or cmtside the school. 
The same thing is told us of the recent mission among the 
Ovambo. In Minahassa during Ricdcl's time it was often 
the need of education which letl the Alfurus to feel tliat the 
Gospel was desirable. The missionaries rightly saw in this 
longing a favourabl,' oj)p(irtunity for the Christianising of 
Minahassa, and devoted tlicmselves with all diligence to 
school work. The hunger of the Alfurus for education 
sprang from their eagerness to possess and study the New 
Testament in whole or in part.^ Missionaries in Madagascar 
had a similar cxi)erience. This eagerness to be able to read 
(iod's Word had its origin, not in any desire for the salvation 
of their soul, but in the hope of finding in the Hible, with 
which they connected many superstitious ideas, tiie wisdom 
of the European.' Hut this defective or even perverse 

' A chiiracUTistic exaniplc of how a luathen is liioiij;lit t.) the mission by 
a desire for learning, ami fjpts much iiiiir.' ihaii lie was seekii:^', is sriveii by 
Trittelvit/, " Die liiilcfelder Ostjtfrika-.Mi-ss. a.m.z . li'OS," p. l;jl. 

' A re>?ular hnnjjer for nadiiij; pn vails in I'^'aiida also. 

^ Cf. Kruyt, " Inlander," [.. IJl If. (n an earthquake Van Il.is-ielt was 
asked by a heathen Pajiuan woman what the liihle said ab.nit it ; \wo\\U\ it be 
better or worse. The heathen of Madagascar eame to the missionary Nilgou 



AfJKXCIES THAT CLRAR THK WAY 



UJ.'J 



conception i« capiiblc of psiviii^ tl»c way f«»r the acceptiincc 
of Christianity. (JotI iui.s [iliuite*! the love of knowle«lf?e in 
the hearts of the i};noraut tliat in seekinj^ iustniction tliev 
may Kntl soincthini; better. 

A kindred fact in the divine U-adin};, wliieh cannot fail 
to oi»en up tlie way for the (lospel arnoiij^ the indif rent 
iieatlien, is the superiority tif tlie wliite race that ' ings 
thcni the (jiospel. Tliat race takes a dominant position 
everywhere in the heathen worUl ; the dull eye of tlie heathen 
sees there the earthly blessinj^ that acc(»njpaiiy Christianity, 
and learns thereby to value the new relifi;ion. The missionary 
activity of the early Church was without tliis advantaj^e. 
The messenfijers of the Cospel were then iiisij^nii',<.ant ; they 
were rej^arded as uneducated ; and they spranj; from a 
milieu on which the proud (Jroek an«l Itomaii lookecl with 
contempt. Other means were needed to draw the attention 
of the heathen world to the new message vviiich had no 
wor'diy circumstance to commend it. Hence (Joil conferred 
upon His messengers the power of working signs and wonders 
which evoked th" astonishment and rellection of the heathen, 
and turned their eyes to a preaching so uni(|uely authorised. 
In proportion as Christianity was known and became a pt)wer 
which the heathen could no longer pass by with contempt, 
these divine signs cciised. Such striking signs of the divine 
power are sometimes, though not very livcpu'iitly, seen in 
foreign missions still. We shall speak of liiem later. The 

IjUiui, and askrd liiiii to look intn liis Hil)l« ami .sii> whetluT ,i inaiaudinj; 
•'XjKMliliim thi'y liaii |ilaiiiie<J woiilil '■t)tw oil' hcII (Ki'iyt, " liilamlcr," 
|i. 111). Tlif lu'iillKii olTliiliut lieiiuently liail liiliKs in tliiir Imuses wliirli 
they liid nut rtail, Init wiirHliiii]ii'il a.i iilnln, am! Iniiinit im'eiisf bflbre tlicni 
(Kruyt, i>. yi'). Tin- Wasliainba ri'^anlcil tlic Hilile a.s a nia;^ii' book in 
which tiie missionaries were suiniKsed to tinii out who had liewitilied their 
sick, or whitlicr their goats had run (" During Morgcndannnerung," \>. Itil). 
Stkeletu, chief of Harotsi, favoured the setthMuent of missionaries in his 
country, but was liiniself unwilliiif; to learn to read leit the inagii. of the 
book sh( ild comiicl him to give up pulygamy. Rcbbtd Niasieri euircated 
missionary Fries to iniiuir( in the book wlierc the lliief Hli>)Ubl be found, and 
when he refuseil they entreated, He good enough, at least, to curse the thief 
Irom the book (Fries, "' Kundbricf," No. 'JtJ, p. 39). 



tl 
f 



ss 



Ifi6 THE LlVl'SC, FORCES OF THE GOSPEL 




!• 



niewiiimTrt of the Oospol are not cjenerally equipped with 
th« yift of workiiifj; womlerM, htMause their position in the 
lieathen world is already oiitstandin!.'. ReprcHentatives of a 
far Hupcrior eulture, tlicv excite universal attention. Even in 
the most priniitive pioneer mission, the missionary, whether 
he will or not, appears t»» the heathen as the re|)re8entative 
of a culture and education at which they >jaze with astonish- 
ment, as thouirh it had come from another world. By his 
tools and instruments, l>y his knowled}?e and skill, he 
im[>resses them as a hij^her beiujj. Tlie interest of all centres 
on the wonderful man who is the talk of the country-side for 
miles around. The feuds and controversies of the tribes are 
brought before him to be settled by his wisdom. He is 
expected to cure every kind of disease and infirmity, to have 
a word of counsel for all, and to briufj about a Reneral 
improvement in the land.' This high esteem gives import- 
ance to his words. Wonderful as his message is to their 
ears, they cannot help listening to it because of the mes- 
senger. The superiority of the European thus becomes a 
magic wand which opens the door of the heathen land before 
the (Jospel. Worldly motives arc often the crowbar which 
bores the blast-holes into which the powder of the Gospel can 
be laid, so as to burst the rock of heathenism from within. 

The cordial reception of the missionary by uncivilised nien 
is probably inspired by the hope of obtaining.; something of his 
superior wisdom. They hope either to profit from his art 
and skill, or, under his guidance, to become themselves wise 
and clever as Europeans. They see that Christian nations 
are far in advance of heathen nations; if Christianity has 
made them so, it is worth while to draw close to so powerful 
a religion. They think of the Christian religion as a powerful 
magic. That conclusion is partially true, and those who 
draw it, though still far from the kingdom of God, are not so 
far a.s the stupid heathen, who do not even pretend to think 
about the fruits (»f the different religions. 

In not a few mission fields this superiority of Christian races 
is paralysed by the dissolute conduct of many Euroiwans. 

' The Battdks oltoii say tu us : " T.hcre is uothiug you wLites cauijut do." 



A(;kn<iks that (lkak tiik way 



i«; 



The heHthcn, who observe them, dniw the inferv-iiee tlial 
wi8«luin and doiiiiiiion are not neeessarily dependent on tlie 
observanee of Christian preecpts. What luid meant to Ik- a 
furthenince tiiUH, througli man's ^nilt, becomes a liindranee. 

Anotlier and more constant factor in oi»enin<x up the way 
for the (iospel is the intliienee of tlie moral personality of the 
prcjicher. They see tlie Christian religion embodied in the 
evangelist, and divine some of its exeellenci s long In-fore the 
Word preaehe«l has made any impression on them. Two things 
in the messenger of the (Jospel strike them as great and attrac- 
tive—his love and liis truthfulness. The missionary's love 
and compassion is a comi>letely new thing to the animistic 
heathen. Heathenism is sheer unveiled seltishness. His 
parents apart, no Auimist has ever had to do with a man 
who showed him an unselHsh love. Kverywliere auu)ng 
uncivilised peoples, mission worliers find that the heartfelt 
compassionate love of the messenger i> the Hrst thing that 
makes an impression on the har<l heuthiri heart. They meet 
enlightenment witii passive resistance and with the teaching 
of their tradition ; but all their weap«ins miss tire against 
merciful love. Not only tiio-ie who afterwards becosjie 
CliriH* s, but hardeueil heathen can be moved by the love 
of the messenger. The heathen as well as the Christians in 
IJattak I lud call the missionary their father, and that is no 
mere phrase. They conless, " My father was not, my mother 
was not. what thou hast been to me. " ' The l<»ve which the 
messenger bestows on them and their eliildreu awakens in 
thenj feelings of whose existence they themselves were 
formerly unaware. It creates in them a new emotional life. 
N(»w and then we hear them extolling the white man who 
does not shrink from handling their disgusting sore . from 
sitting with them in their dirty huts, from taking in their 

' After two yfai-.s' lal)imr a M "i;^ tbi' savages iin tlic l.^laml Sairiosir, I vva.« 
called elsewhere and hail lo liav^v Tiic love an 1 iiratitiuie lor love exliil'iti d 
at my departure was bcvDtiJ anytliiiig I could have thought iiii.-,siM('. 
Heathen men whom I had nev.r tiusted wept like ehildren (which th. v irc 
not in the halut ol doing), an.: called me tiieir father, their mother, their 
grand fatlier, who had loved them more than their own jiarents. 



■PSHH 




Hi 



16fl TIIK LFVINM; KOItCIvS OF THK tiOSl'KI. 

Hick, iiiiil the like. The iiii«sioiiary'« treatiiifiit of the nick 
hoH opened iiiiiii) a cUmd door, as is atteste*! hy the whole 
literature «)f inission.s. The nearest way to the heathens 
jienrt, ami to make him williiij,' to listen to the f{o»)d message, 
is iiniiiistakahle charity on the part «»f the mes«en>,'er. So 
soon iw he is convinced of their love and kindness will he 
incline hiH car to their words.' Fries declarcH : "The 
missionary in placing all his gifts at the service of a seeking 
and serving love will feel that he is following Jesus. The 
sermon in action is underst<»od long before the sermon in 
word ; it acts inmiediately, a call from heart to heart acts 
even on those naively selfish natures. 

The missionaries in Kaiser-William s Land, in twenty 
years' patient work among the Pap-ans. have experienced 
the great influence of tlie disinterested love of the messenger 
of the (Jos|k;I upon the savai,'e heathen heart. An armed 
heathen once came to Kunze the missionary, and the latttr 
asked him, " Do you want to kill me? " The man answered 
that formerly he would have killed him if in the mood. 
"But I cannot do it now. Thou hast Iniried there the 
missicmaries Klaus and I'illkuhn and thy wife : when 1 think 
of it my bowels become weak." lie li'ad fell something of 
the missionary's love, ready even to face death. In thinking 
of dead missionaries and missionaries' wives, a I'apuan 
would say, "Jle (or she) ha<l such a soft eye when he 
looke«l at me that my bowels were pained. " krunun, the 
missionary on Nias, when lis wif,- died, had the same 
experience. Siwahumola, the head -hunter, who was once 
so much feared, said to him, weeping, " When I hoard that 
the niotiier had gone awny I i\ it as if I had been .-trangled. 
She loved us. • And then he wint on to recount ail mamier 
of i)r()ofs of the h)ve and kindness the young wife had shown 
him. in like mann> , the death of the young beloved 

' "This iiivahml.U' |,,ison;., , umIIi, wliicli is tliv primary condition of a 
iLscful inlliioiKeanion^Muuivilised h-tilUvu peoples who art- ijji.uiant ol life, 
faith in thr purity ofl.isaim.s, in his h.mnU'ssiKss, .iisintere.strdne.ss, and good 
uitention.s, nin.-it lie ae,|uiied l.y every mis-ioiiai v «lio opens up a new field 
of heniKhted lieatheui.iu." Tliat is how Sehueider lorniulates this important 
fac tfli- of jiersona! 'i-i.-isioi; vv:::!- 



A(iKM'li:s THAI CI-KAH TIIK WAY 



Kill 



tiiihHidiiury Stalilliut in < Kainltolaml nuulo a thrp iiiijin .■'siuii 
(Ml the liiMllirii. Many vi«ito.| liis witlovv and \v«'iit witli 
hi-r. The (lyiii^; nl" t oillanls wilt- was Iraii^ilit witli l»l»'-MnL,' 
to tlio lieatluii. .MiilU-r U'>lilir. nf tin- Atii,'lo tril>»' am"ii« 
tlie Kwe tliat tin- divotiun uitli wliioli tlit- inissimiaries 
iiurMotI tlidsi' \vtiiiii<lo<l in battle won the heart ol tlie Kwe 
anil hruu;j;ht aliout a .sutl<len ehan<ie in their relatioii to 
the niiswionaries. Iloeli >ay8 of tlie Iiitliaim, that the 
provident eare ol' i!ie iiiissioiiaries. their |ihilaiitliroi»ie 
aetivity, ami their unselfish aid have a iiiiiihtv inlliieiiee 
on those who are yet i.ir t.ll' Iroiii ChriMtiaiiity. Kriiyt .suvh : 
"The iniHsioiiary imist i>e<,Mii l>y ^'ainiii;; the eontideiiee of 
the peojde ; his personality iini>t speak more than hi- words ; 
for he must never rort,'et tliat at first liis preaehini,' of the 
liospel is listened to entirely ftir his sake, and tliat all 
preaehing is useless unless the hearei-s have eonfideiiee in 
the preaelier. This eonhdeiiee is tlie way U\ whieh (lotl'i* 
spirit eonies into their hearts and does its work. " And 
confidence is i^ained liy hive.* 

N\'xt, the truthfulness of the evangelie messeiiKer eom 
mends liim to the lieathen. This is a new virtue to most 
heathen peo[iles, if not in idea yet in reality. Before tlie 
arrival of the missionary our llattaks never saw a man whose 
word they eould believe, and it was the same with the 
Niassers, Alfurus, I'apuans, and many others. No won«ler 
they distrusted the missionary at tirst, and suspected that 
he had all kiiuls of secret desi;,'ns. But now he has lived 
for some time anronj,' them, keenly watched by hundreds of 
suspicious eyes. CJradiially tliey see that this man never 
speaks an untruth, never pniMies secret plans with craft ami 
deception, but speaks exactly as he thinks. The more this 
observation is coiidenseil into experience the more they arc 

' Charity makes its iiii|ii(>suiii fviii on Mohaninndaiig, llie faiiulii-al 
enemies ot Chrisiians. 'I'lie lldspital oi tlu' Rhine Mission in I'ea Railja 
^Sumatra) forces many Mnliainiiiiclnns In jutinit that siu Invc is luuml only 
ainon^' the Christians. Ol cmiise the explanatiim is at i.ncf ^'iven liy llieir 
leaders : " Yes, the Christians nnrse our siik ami do tliem ;,'iM(d, hut that i- 
just what Allah has dcturmiued. that tluy shuuld iperlorm this lowly service 
to believers.'" 






■II 



m^ 



wm 




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170 TIIK I |V|X(; FOJU'KS OF THE (JOSj'KL 

im-litu'd to lulif vo him, in virtue of mi iMi.pirioal comluHioi. 
in th.. ni.l, liMMi-vor. t\wy trust l.i.n uitli all tlirir lirart 
Ills .li.Hint.rt'str.ln,..H, U\s lovo and truth, havo npninl the 
way to thi'ir riosctl hearts. 

That means a -reat .leal, for it lends them to iM-lieve hin 
inessajre; imt to the .-xtent, eerl.-.inlv, of Hiil,mittin« to it or 
appbin^' It to theiiiselvs. but th.-y htlieve that the invHterious 
words of the man wh.. has Urn proved truthful 'iim.t Ikj 
true I hev kii„w that the messen-er has no desire to d.im. 
his hearers, and no s..|(ish .lesij^ns. The words must be 
f,'oo,l, beeaiise the preaeher has alreadv provi.l himself a 
reiable man. Compassionate love and unswervinj,. rruth- 
hilness Will carry the missionary further than i,ro(»fs and 
disputations. "Honesty an.l truth are weapor-.s which the 
heathen do not know, for all wise heathen are eunning 
diplomatists Ilenee these weapons swayed by love inliiet 
tlie most abidiiif,' wounds." 

The Rhine Mission laboure.l for two decades in New 
-uiiiea without any visible results ; no one had any .lesire 
to become a Christian. Vet the missionaries remained of 
Kood courages imd woul.l not hear of f^i vin^^ up the apparently 
.... fruitful held for. as was shown <,u n.any occasions, they 
ha.l suceeeded in ^Minin- the conHdenee of the Papuans, 
rhore IS now a real novem-nt towards Christianity on that 
iHland. Iheir tni.t i.. the missionaries made the savafre 
Ira<.no Uuna, in Xi.s, .rlebrated head-hunters and men- 
stealern come to the missionary Kmmm, ah.i.K with their 
drcade<l chief Siwahun.ola, and embrace Christianity in a 
H.dy. Doctor Winkler, a medical missionary, e.xpresses 
l..mself on this matter as foMows : " Only after contidenee is 
established m the missionary, docs preaching, the Word of 
(.od, law ami (Jospel, jp-adually find willinjj eai-s, reflection 
and comprehension. ConHdenc. in the missi.marv, proved 
rehable n, earthly affairs, passes on to the new teaching he 
bnnss. f the one is true and reliable the other is true and 
relnil.le also. Confidence in the missionary in earthly affairs 
passes ,„t<, trust in spiritual things. ConHdenee in the 
IH-rson of the missioui.ry leads to confidence in the Cod 



a(;en(ies that ci.kah the way n 

of the iniiwioiinry, who so often utamU vinilily l)y him, ami 
who, ii» ho th-rlun'rt, lovri* thi-m alno, and is alih- ami willing 
Ut help tlu'Mi in iMurvollous ways as has ol'tt-n Im'imi alriady 
M'cn. That a>,'ain U-iuls to trust in tht- Saviour of wlioin the 
missionary nt-vor wrarii's of spoakini; and testifyintf." The 
eonfiilenee which Livin;>tt»nt' was aliU* to plant amon<i tlie 
mivajjes of Africa opened that dark portion of the earth 
t(» mission ivork. How often have missionaries been alile 
to mediate U'tween e<ilonial <jovernments and an exeited 
p..pulation heeanse thev had its eonlidenee ; or even lu'tween 
warrinjj tribes, both of wliom were eonvineed of 'the itotxl 
will and incorruptibility of the nu -ennor of peace. 

A pre|mraiorv inflnence of a p. rsonal kind on the pai 
of the bearer of the Word nmst therefore, as a rule, preeedi 
the reception of the Divine M ssasjc. The printed or written 
Word miiy partly replace tlie personal amonj; educated 
heathen, but anionfr l^wer peoples the message in and by 
itself and its contents will tmly in rare cases be efTective. 
A warm, h>vin<.', jwrsonul inllnence is needed to melt the 
wall of ice that is around the heathen heart. The moral 
feeling that hitherto has shnnbcrcd there and defiantly closed 
itHcIf against the moral demand of the (Jospel reKpon<ls to 
the person who appeals to it. The n inimnt of moral feeliiif^ 
still ill the heathen draws him to tlif moral person as the 
magnet awakens the kindred nia^Mictic power in the iron. 
The consetpicnce i« an appreciation of this |H>rHon, nay, more, 
confidence, and finally responsive love. Th: ' ^fcurcH a basis 
for the preaching of the (itwpel. 

Most of the peoples who hare had a (iiis>i..nary am .ng 
them are now governed by a Kuro|)eaii colonial governinoiit. 
Though this govirnment cannot regard it as its work to 
Christianise the tribes over which it rules, nay even though 
it be unfavourable to mission work, it cannot fail, as the 
representative of humanity and enlighteumeiit, to help un- 
consciously to prepare the way for the preaching of the 
Gospel. It does so in two ways. A civilised colonial power 
contributes to the sinking of h.-athoaisuu not by forbichling 









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. 9 

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f 



i;j TIIK LIVI\(J FOIM'KS OF TIIK COSl^KL 

the heatiion tn practiM* tlioir rt'lifjioii iior l»y HURfioKtinjj to 
tiiciii to hcH-oiiie ( 'liristians. Tlu> liollaixl ooni{)aiiy in 
Xctliorlaiul hidia «li<i tliat, and drove tiioiisamls into tliu 
arms of tlio Christian Chiircli, though not to their salvation. 
Nowhere is anything hke that (h»ne now. Hut a cohtninl 
power may find it neeessary to prohibit many heathen customs 
whieh are chisely connected witli tlie relijjious tradition, 
sucii ius cannibalism, head-huntin<;, human sacriKces at 
festivals for the dead, trial of witches, jud<;ments of (lod, 
killin<j of nsen in order to obtain charms irum their corpses, 
burning of widows, and many others These are all iisafies 
which support the animistic relij^ion, and their prohiliition by 
authority means the breakin<; up of the animistic tradition 
and of the system. The whole tra<lition loses its power. 
The <5ods {i.e. aiicestomj no longer served in the way they 
desire, must turn their backs on their descendants who deem 
it iKJtter now to put themhclves under j^ods whom they can 
worship in an acceptable way. These };ods are either the 
.Moliammedan Allah Kaala or the (iod of the Christians. In 
this way the Holland executive power in Nctherland India 
has sometimes played into the hands of Christianity.' 

' T.ikc Olio I'XiinipIc cil this kind ni ii|ifiiiii^; llio way. Oib' of the <lis- 
trirtsof.Miiiuliassa whirli loii>; n-Mstid riiii.Miaijity wiisToii.sta. Tlic liciitlii-ii 
State, tlial is, tlir rilijjioiis trailitioii, was tliiii' piisirvi'ii a.s far a-. )io»sili|r 
liy tlir inii'^ls, tliiiuj;h tli« .striK'tiiri- wa.^ rotti-ii. Now llie j;nut man of 
Miiialiiuisu, Kvsiiii'iit JaiiHcn. lanii' oiii' clay into tlif vcryjlirart uf .Miiialia.sxian 
hfatlit'iiiaiii W'hi'ii th«y were I'lltliratiiig a .saiTitici.il festival of ten day.s. 'I'liu 
Kcsidfiit .saw how the Well oeinj; of the iieople Ha.s retardeil hy .such festival" 
how the laSoiir ot the past na.s iis.'d up in a few days, and the |iro|ile ridiiceu 
to want iluriii); a great part of the year. The liast also ke|)t the |ieo|ile 
from their work for days. The nsult of this discovery was that tlii' Resident 
ordained, that no lesli\al shoiii.l last lirii;;ir than ihiee .lays. Kesidilit 
.lanseii issued this <leeree iu the interests of the people ; assimdly he \va.< 
not fully tonseious of the tact th.ti nix eoiiinianil wa.s .uiviii),,' a serious hlow 
to the heathen state {i.e. the relij^ion), for Kniyt regards state .iiid reli^;ion as 
closely connected. It «a» siippo.sed that where the pids could no longer lie 
served in accordance with tin- usaj;e he whole stale {i.e. religion) must he 
chanjicd, and tlie pc.ple of Tolise.i l.ecaine t'hristiaiis. The intlueiice of the 
^(oveniincnt may lie nverrated hi re. Other motives may have heeii at work, anil 
the limitation of tlie samhoial festival may only have funu.shed the oc asioii 
for carrying out a loiij; prepared re\ nhitioii. Hut the ci-operatinu. the purely 
outward prepuiatKii. oi the way )iy the civil power, 19 clear from Ihia and 






A(JKN(MKS THAT CLKAH THK WAY \7:^ 

A I'iviliscd <;(iveriiinoiit ulso iilxtlislu's sliivory, wliitli is 
closely coniuTted witii tiio reli<,'i()UH stuto tnnliti«)n of 
heathciiisiu. FretMl slaves « ill dotacli tlu-insolvi-s from tho 
national religion more mulily if tliey owe tlu-ir freedom to 
European lielp. A curb is also p\it t>n the i)eriiieious intluenee 
of mapicians ami feticli men. They are no lonjrer nneontrolled 
ill tlieirevil work, tlions^li the emit is not aholishetl. Cruel 
trials by onleal are no lontror possible. All that .leals a severe 
bh»w to the heathen tradition, which was a eomi)leted whole. 
fiut the scccmd way is mure important. The Colonial 
(iovernmeiit puts a stop to the emlless bloody feuds of 
tribes; it creates frcechnii, and the eoiiditioiis for undisturlied 
evan{:elisin<j work. We are rii.dit in rei,'ardiiitj the universal 
peace pn)duced by Rome's universal sway, as a preparatory 
act of (Jod openinj,' nj* the way for His Apo.sties. and remler- 
iiiiT poHsible the i.rcacliiiii,' of the (Jospel in many lands. 
Mission work can have little success anions uncivilised 
heathen peoples who are left politically to themselves. 
The acceptance of Christianity by the people is rendered 
very ditlicult, and it is often expressly prohibited, inder the 
Hway of «lespots, -^reat or small, is in Ashantee. I'jjanda and 
Netherland India Constant tribe feuds ami bloodshed not 
only make the heart unwillin-,' to receive the (oispcl, but 
make rejjular preaeliin„' impossible ; they also cndaniter the 
existence of the little coimniinities that liavc been woii.' 
But when' peace is secured, and the capricious sway of little 
tynint-s broken by a linn colonial <:ov«Tiimeiit, every subject 
is placed in a position of freedom towards the evan^'clie 

similar UrtH which Kniyt rrportx. Hire is iiinthcr . laini.lr frcm, Ihf Khiiif 
Mi»si.iii. The HoU.iml K'DViTiiiiMiit louii.l it-.ll r.-.ciillv <"Im|» Ih'.i t.i iiihIit 
Ukc I [.iiiiitivf .•x|»MlitioM t" r\\<- island .Mfiitnv y, whI liom Siimalri. 

which cii(h'.l willii.iit hi Uhcl l.y the n.u.liali-.li '>i the iiii^-idiary l.dl. On 

this oc(a»i.>M the c lu.l liai.eiii;; ..I wilch.s an. I llic riiiiDU-. •.a.iilicml IrslivaU 
WIMP f.uhi.hi.ii. The ri'Kiilt '<( tliiH i.n>;iil.iti.iii. whi,-h cuts ».■ .h.j.lv into 

heathen eiisl..,n, w .s lliat thi- luipul iti.ni, l..l lly evtrein.ly ell Uv^-.iu 

cauerly aii.l ill j{ie,il iniiMl.eis t.. alien 1 lli.' < 'In istiaii w-.i^hip, an-l i.. >.mi.1 
their cliiltlrcii tii th" inission -. IdmI. 

I When war |.rfvails iii the iihhpeii.leiit re>;i<iii> ,<f Siiiiiatri, ii. rhmii, 
an.l .San.osir. no one can vcntnie to 1:0 to .hmeh or s,l,....l, loi . v.n »..neii 
aii.l ehil.lfii woiil.l 1m. nier. i!.«sIv mta.ke.l iii.l kiile.l. 



li'i 



!t 



174 THE LIVIN(; FORCES OF THE (JOSPEL 



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iiiewafjc. Tlio i-liicf may jierliiipH |ilay tru-k« on iiiin who 
listens to the Word, hut he has no h)ii<^cr power to forbid his 
Hubjeets to do so. The Ilhine missionaries who work under 
the i>caeefnl sway of tl.- {government of Hoihind (rratcfuUy 
neknowledjje the bh^ss.dfjs whieh they owe to it. In 
Sumatra, as well iis in the wiiole of Xetiierhuid India, not 
only tlio missionaries, but the oppressed popuhition desire to 
eome under the Cohniial (loveriiiiu'nt. Here and there the 
hope tinit tiie (Joverninent will follow the missionaries, leatls 
the heathen in their lon^inj^ for ;>eaee to aceept Ciiristianity ; 
or they are heard sayin<j, that as soon as the Holland (iovcni- 
ment takes us over we shall become Ciirisiians, but there 
nmst be pe-iee first. Once the law of nii<^ht is brok'U every- 
Ixxly breathes freely, ami no one' is disinclined to accept the 
" relif^ion of peace." Thus Kramer, the mis.si')nar\, on Niiw 
writes: "The notorious nibbcrs just mentioned (iiiiluhalu, 
Sitambaho, Bawaduha), who formerly extended theii preda- 
tory excursions in all directions, have, throu^^h the mediation 
of the missionaries and the Christian chiefs of Lolowua and 
Sojjiie Adu, submitted to the Holland (Jovernment. These 
people now tlesire to have missionaries sent ti* them.* 
Somotinios the tormented peoi>le expect that the missionary 
will fol!(»w the «;overmnent, .sometimes conversely, that the 
peuc''brin<i;in<j government will accompany the mission.'' 

Wc have no desire to overestinuite the sif^nihcance for 
missions of a humane European {Government. I'eopic in the 
end are broujjht into the Christian Church by inward 
motive.s. There is a i^rcat distance between the first readi- 
ness to hear the word and the inward acceptance of it with 
its far-reachin>? consecpu'uces. Hut it should be {gladly 
admitted that a wise and benevolent Colonial (iovernment 
is one of the powers which (Jod has chosen for briiijjinj^ the 
niessai^e of salvation to tincivili.sed peoples. On the other 
hand, unfortiuiately, we know well that European rule is 



' yiKited ill Kniyt, " lii' Inlaiuisclio nUtct," i>. V>3. 

'-' III like iiiiiniiir tiii- Kiiiii|M'aii Ciivi-iliiiioii! ii .\ ••linn tee. I'f^.iiidii. .Smitli 
air' Kast AliKM, Inis ciratcil mLiliiJi.iis in wliiili llir ini-.n-lmij,' of tlit. lj<w|icl 
may lu'ini'liilly, an<l lluTi !■ ir liuitfully, Im cariieil uii. 



AdENCIKS THAT CI.KAU THK WAY iTr. 

accompanied by trilmtary currents tliat may liindor the 
spread of C'liristianity. (Hi tlie whole, however, tlie salutary 
intluence« predtmiinate. All the means heie sketvlie«l .)f 
openinjj up the way for ( 'hristianity are instruinentj* whieh 
Ciod putH into mans hand to nelp in i>reparini,' the wav for 
the coming «»f Mis kinjidom. They are auxiliary seaffoldinir, 
superfluous when the huildintr is eompleted. Necessary, 
they are yet not amon<r the huililiiii: forces. 

Wo have still to sjjeak of another and a tleeper kind of 
l>rei)arjition. In most cases tracealile to natural caiisos, it is 
yet an inmiediatc revelation of (mmI's own action with its 
purp»)se of salvation, which enters the life of the heathen 
and draws the attention of the blinded people to that which 
makes for their peace. The tin<,'er of (!t»d is more visibly 
and more freipiently seen in the mission fields of heathenisn;, 
warning the ijjnomnt that now is the day of salvation, than 
it is in Christendom. We have already seen that forci^'n 
missions to-day are not necessarily accompanied by manitest 
wonders, as in the <lays of the apostles, because there are 
other means of ^'ainin-r the attenti<m of the heathen. Hut the 
marks of (Jods mighty presence are plainly perceptible in 
mission work to-day. (;«»! sometimes v undescends to show 
the helplessness of their i,'ods, and His (.wn power to the 
heathen who know llim not. lie MMuctimes condescends 
to punish blasphemers, to accompany with His blessiii},' 
remedies <,'iven by His 'ncssenircrs in L'reat weakness, to 
answer llu stanuueriuf,' prayers of th« m- who would like to 
know whether His power is with tliem, and in marvellous 
ways to preserve his servants. Tlu' Haftiik mission has 
witnessed many clear interpositions of (lod, csjicially in 
its first days. The missionaries wen- several times |»reservcd 
from attempts on their lives They have taken poison with- 
out any injury, and restraint was put upon tiieir enemies, 
such as to reveal to Cliristian and heathen alike the tinf^cr of 
(}od. The Nias mission has had the same exiu'rieiice, 
osjiccially in the western rcL'ioii. occupied, by Lett and 
lleitze. and in the district Laliusa oi»cned up by the 



Ik. 



17fi TIIK \A\lSr. F( HICKS OF TIIK (JOSPKL 



.•f» 






iiii.s8i(>iiary Kruiiiiii. Hut for siicli clour |)rnols to the 
heatlicii of tlie Divine jtowcr, these two {troviiiccH could 
hanlly have been Ih>I(I, tliou^rli in both a ricli liarvcHt has 
l)een <;atliere<l in untler marvellous conditions. The reader 
of niismonary news will freipiently coine upon instances of 
Hiich thin();H, reminding him of the exi)eriences «»f Oltl and 
New TcHtanient messeufjers of (lod. Such experiences 
Htren^jtheu the faith of missionaries and their hcljiers in their 
many trialri, striving with tiie dark jiowers of lieatheniKm, un- 
Hup|Mirted by ( 'liristian fellowship. The critic will find it easy 
to jvssail these aci> of (Jod, but they are precirms to those who 
experience them, mission workers, heathen, Christians and 
heathen, and they prikduce blessed and |)ermanent results. 

We shall have to return to these proofs of (Jods pi)wer 
later when examiniuL; the powers and j^ifts that is.suc from 
the (ioHpel. They occuj>y us here only so far as they belonfj 
to the preparatory means, for in most cases they appear oidy 
where the Cospel has ahea<ly found an entrance, and add to 
the knowledfife of those who are susccptilile. But we must 
enter here into a fidler explanation of one phenomenon in 
which the act of (Jod and the iiuier life of man are closely 
interlaced. (Jod often inlluences the inner life of the heathen 
by dreams and visions in such a manner that all psycholo<i;ieal 
explanations leave somctliinjj inexplicable. The luiiction of 
these is, tn point to the (lospel, as yet little lieedetl. In the 
Itattak Mission the attention of the heathen was fre(juently 
drawn to Christianity by dreams. .Many heathen Christians 
s|K«ik of dreams which had a decisive influence un their 
lives. These are .still more fretpient nn Nias. An old 
priestess there dreamed that the dead ancestors of her 
kindred appeared to her and sai<l that the new relif^ion 
was i^ood, and if they would all follow it they wimltl be 
reunited with their ancestors. The dream made a pntfound 
impression on all tlu* relatives to whom the old wonnin told 
it, especiall.v the prospect of bciiii; united with the ancestors. 
The Savaj^c Iraono lluna on Nias were led by a dream to 
accept Christianity. Th<- wife of .Solano, wlio afterwards 
became a Icadinix supporter of Christianity, dreamed that she 



.\(;knc'Iks that ci.k.mi tih: way 177 



saw, at a jiroat distaiKV, a laryo in.iii vvitli h\< U'v\ i<\\ 
the earth ami his liiiixl reachiiii.' ti) heaven, lie Weiaiiie 
smaller aiul smaller till, as a little man, with a winte '.'aniieiit. 
he sat down <>ii a stone and said: "I ninu- tii>m lieavi-n 
and have to ask \(>u |ieo|)le of Lolowan il" von i,'o to ilinreh 
at LdiuHii ? Are von \villin<; to follow tlie teaehini: of tlod ' " 
Then tiiey pniyed toj^ether. ami he onee more exiiorted her 
to Ko to the missionary that lie mi-^lit slncv her the way of 
life. Next «lay the whole vil!a<,'e eaine to i>e lani^ht, and the 
idols were thrown awiiy. This dream had a deeisivi- elleet 
upon the whole distriet. Otiiers dreamed of :i m.od sprin^^ 
whieh rose up near the mission house or eame from the eity 
of (iod. Heathen of Lahomi were eonui.'ssioned by a tlreani 
to follow the eiistom of the missionary, and therehy retni:i to 
the " old enstom, ■ i.i., the ori^'inal. true religion. 

Buttncr. in his essay "Triiume nml (Jesiehte in tier Mission, " 
haabnm<iht together a j;reat mass of material on the sul.jeet. 
He distinf?uishes between edifyinjx dreams and those for 
rousiiifj the indolent, and, lastly, visions of the ilyin«,'. He 
tells of uiany dreams which pointed the lieathen to 
Christianity as soinetliintr salutary. Hcfore the advent of 
the missionaries the Konde were forewanud l>y a visible 
jdienomenon in the heavens that men wt)uld eome with a 
uiessajre whieh they wt'n to receive. The missionary Coldit/ 
fjot a frieiully reception on the Mosipiito Coast because an 
Indian had onee seen in a dream a while man who sununoned 
him to send for missionaries. Missionaries, before their 
advent, were also dreamed of anmnir the Kols. .\ zealous 
idolater amoni,' the l)ush negroes of Suriname was warned in 
a dream and conmianded to testify aj^ainst idolatry, ami to 
jjo in (piest of missionaries. He then became a devote<l 
evanjrelist. Individuals are forced by dreams to become 
candidates for baptism. Knttrot says that individuals 
am(Ui<{ the Kols received divine announcements in the 
form of visions and dreams sliuwinir them the mcimin<i of 
their elVorts, ami dctermiuin^' llu-ir wills to this or that ste|i. 
Mie-seher also brinijs tojictlier many examples of sijjiiilicant 
dreams, from the Kols. from llie Cold Coast, !Vom a Kailir 



\i 



17H TIIK MV1N(J FOltCKS Oi' THE (JOSPKL 



f 



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-.'* 

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youtli. and from tlic Hottentot leader of African hnntsmen. 
He also .s|(eaks of " foreboilin}^ that .sound like prediction.^." 
Hoch declarcH that, anion^ tlie Indians, dreams luul visions 
often |»la.\ the part of messenj^ors of (lod to tlraw the atten- 
tion of the heathen to the t,'ospel which, as yet, they do not 
know, or to contirni the wort! which they have heard.' 

Kruyt has <levoted a chapter <>f his hook, " De Inlander en 
de /ending, ' to dreams, in which he shows that dreams are 
realities tit the animistic heathen. They Itelieve that in sleep 
the son! leaves the liody and really experiences what i« 
da'amed. In jiarticular, the .soni keeps up intercourse in 
dreams with dead relations, and receives orders from them. 
Seeinjj; that contact with his ancestors means nnich to the 
.\nimist. he attaches };reat value to such dreams. Nothing 
more eUcctively prevents uncivilised man from accepting 
("hristianity than the fear of woundinti; his ancest»»rH hy a 
thanj;e of relij^ion. Now, if one of those drea<led ancestoix 
.should, in a dream, counsel him to follow the new religion, 
that would he a powerful incitement. It would shake to 
the foundation his belief in his former religion. Kruyt 
distiniiuishes three kinds of dreams, those which contain 
a prediction, those which leatl to conversiiui, and those 
which relate to the condition after death. The Church at 
Lamoniiun came into existence through a revelation given in 
a tlream. \ frecpient dream is of the coming of white 
men ( N'ias, Minahassa). A Dayak ilreamed that - the 
heatluii had a sad h)t, ami the Christian a pleasant one in 
the other world, and, therefore, he desired to Itecome a 
Chrir.tian. "When' man cannot he br«)ught to salvation by 
higher motives, (iod makes use of means based upon the 
thoughtf antl feelings of these uncivilised men. The ilream 
is sutli a ■■iicaiis. Dreams yield them \w spiritual instruction, 
no deep utterances ; l>ut rather very material directions in 



' " In IS'.i'.l r.MM) l!ir raiiiiiiu in .li ypm was [ireicili'il liy a ri'liorl that all 
will) liail no liiiijii wiiulil ilir. Tin' niniimi i^mumI Iimmi I'liii in Oii.ss.i. Tl.p 
(.'hiif Ihn'xl llii'ii' «.i.'' ali>.i>ilMi| in the K'vcliitinn of .lohn, imd priii>li««ii>d 
to t!:t" tinii'i : ' Sii k for a liiend or yon will <lii'' Whin we lanie with the 
.nwv.i'r, .lf>*ilH IK thi' licst Iriiinl, humlrcils closcil with thf tlosiiol. ' 



ACJKXCIRS THAT ('LEAR TIIK WAY ITU 

hamvmy with their imtunil hanltMH'd heartn. Tin- inaiii 
thinn Ih that their liearts are thereby opened to tlie aition 
of the jrospel. (iod, in llis u'reat love, takew the natural man 
!i» lie i^ and trains him for Ills ehild. ' 

Mcrensky savH that amonj,' the Hasuto "dreams wen- 
fretjuently the means iiy whicii heathen already .jiiiekened 
were driven to deeision. The eonteiits of the dream seemed 
to us to have no meaning, hut the heathen felt ditVereiitly, 
and freciuently reeeived abidin<; impressions fr«tm it. Many 
bclievc«l that they had seen the liord in a dream, and had 
rccei.e<l commands fnnn him.' Skrefsrml the S«.rwe^'ian 
missionary reports the fi.llowini,' dream l>y an t)lii Ukan anion^ 
the Santals. Ho dreamed that a man appeared to 1 im and 
miid, "(Jo from thy villa},'e to a place which I . ■! shew 
thee ; tliou wilt tind somethinji which thou wilt t..h.e to the 
missionary, and he will explain it to thee. Therehy thou will 
receive life ; and then thou wilt hrin^ it to othei-s. ' He went 
to tlie place hy ni^ht. an.l after loai,' waitinj; found a piece of 
written pai>er, which he carried to the missionary. It wiw 
a Christian Santal poem, and this the missi..nary used t«» 
expound to him the niessaj,'e of salvation. He came to 
Christ, and laboured to briiii; his villaije to the truth.'- 

Old predictions also prepare the way for the acceptance of 
the (iospel. Dorini,' the mis>ionary tells of a man in Kast 
Africa who ha.i heard from his chiUlhood of an old proj.liecy 
current timon^; his people, that after the time of the Arabs 
wouhl be^'in a time ol white people, and these whiU' i>e(.ph> 
would be tau^dit of «iod. Abuut the end of the ei'„'hte<iith 
century an t»ld man of the black people in Africa, a Kaflir, 
withered all hischildrc!! round him and said, " Dear chihlren, 
I :>ave a presentiment that in a short time }j;ou(i people will 

1 A .vrUin MasH.li ilnaiii.-l lli.il tlir bist .l^iy ha.l n.mf ; ai.nlhrr tini.- lir 
siw ill a dr.am a lap'r lUiiiK towar-ls li.av.ii ami (.-■anl a vu;,-.- Haying', ".So 
art thou tc. «o to lioaveli wh.n tlin.. ,iiesl ' ; llw' third tinio hr siw tli.- (^lury 
of heavrn in a ilvam. T".).' i.i ui then l.'ariir.l will, ^rt-at z.al. M..ny ..tli.T 
examples are given in tliin hook. 

" KiiiK, aftirwatils a .ifv.,t.-.l .•vingili'^l anioii.^ tlie Sarainacka, was.leter- 
niiueil by a .Ireain to «ive up i.lolatry. HIh way wa-s maike I onl in the visiku 
in its minutest dttaiU, and IiIk whole villa-e after«ar.ls folh.wtd him. 



■I 



i.-fl 



••' 



: . ' 



i)!o Tin; i,iviN(; kokcks (»k ink (iospkl 

t'onir to us fniiii jifar, wlio will tell us tiiiit our souls at (loath 
will iro to citlicr a ;;ou(| or » i>ail place. Now as soon an you 
hoar tliat siicli |>i'o|ilc Iiav<> roiuc. <ln not remain here, hut 
^o t'lirlli aiitl lu'ir tin in. The most uiiiijue iiistaiiee of this 
kind is re|H)rte<i ot the Kareii>. .\mon^ tlieni was an ohi 
proiihfcy. whieh was oecasioiiallv repeated l»y a ma^i«-ian in 
an eestatie eondition. that their deliveranee would one day he 
hroii^'hl ahout l»y white torei^iners. These men would have 
the " word of Ywah ' (<iod), whieh tlie KareuH hati lowt, and 
whicii the white men would Itrint,' them. The universal 
hope of white foreigners who would hrini; them < iod s hook 
opened the way for the <e>spcl in many provineos. The 
Karens evantrelists were r > . ived l»y tiie hi-athen everywhere 
as soon as they appealed . . ;' .• universally known prediction 
alHMit the liook of ( io<l. 

VisioM>. wliieh are -wi the same levi-l as dreams anions 
uiiei\ilised peoples, may serve as sij^npo>t,-. News of an 
extraordinary vision amoni; the Papuans was reeently hrouj^ht 
from Kaiser William's Land. I'eople came one (hiy in ijroat 
excitement t(t llanke the missionary, enfreatinj,' him to come 
t|uii'kly to their villaire. There he found them ail .soienuily 
aswmhlcd, an<l was tohl the following' story. In the interior 
of th** land a /<iii Imnti (man from heaven) has eome to earth 
with Ids chilli, lie has Inokeii all weajions and maijie iniplo- 
nuiits, and has coiiiiiiamled the I'apiians to pack up their 
heathen utensils in haskets. In a separate Imsket he has 
p:uked kernels of all kinds of fruit, as a sip! that it was he 
who created all things and that they are his property, in a 
third hasket he lias plaee<l a child. 'The occult worship, the 
kernel of the Papuan reli^'ion. was false, and all utensils eoii- 
iiected with it uiiist he liurned I'lit all th.it the missionary 
had said (<> tiieiii aiiout the words of (Iod was true, and to 
him the liaski ts must he ^'iveii. They then placed the hnsketis 
hefore llanke. He says that the atlair is soniethiiiL,' which 
ho cannot altoLjether under>taiid. hut adds, "This much at 
any rate is certain, that uinler the Divine ^uidanee a (ire has 
been kindled hy somethini: which I cannot fathom, anti it 
continues to burn, thou^ii accompanied with much smukc. ' 



ACKNCIKS THAT (LKAH TIIK WAY 



liil 



Tlie following Satiinluy twoiitv-tiirtM' iiu'ii applictl for iii- 
striK'tioii witli II view t<> liiipdsiii, and next <ij»_v lluv Wito 
joiiu'tl by iiiiu" <;irls ami two wonu-ii. This vi.situi seems to lie 
the iK'jiimiiiijj of a t'liaiijre. For wliile tlie n'>nit- fiaineil h\ 
twenty yean* of painful missi tn work were virtually noihiui;, 
lu'atluMiisni is sliatt«reil to its iiusis In tins event, ami tlie 
nuinIxT of eanilidates for haplisni lias steailily increased. 

The psyeliolo;4ieal interpn tation of sueh ilreanis and visions, 
numerous enou<;li if i-olleeted from mission reports to till 
volumes, is tliat the heathen who associate with mission 
aries are more or less keenly taken up with the new religion, 
and that their dreams relleet tlioui^hts and incitement-- in 
them wliieh have hardly risen into full consciousness.' The 
liiuh opinion whidi the Animisl has of dreams as means of 
briufiinj; him into contait with a su|>ernainral world will 
nnike anythinj^ that comes to him in dreams, and whos«' 
eonui'ftiuii with liis ov.n inner life Ik docs not see, aH'eet him 
more povitully than intellectual rcllcitions. ( !od, like a 
wise teacher, condeseemls to the child like thoui;lit of uneivil- 
isc*! luiui, that He may tell liim, in a way he can undcrstaml, 
tliin<;s which he wouhl otherwise hardly accept.- We cannot 
fully explain these soul-processes without the thought of the 
hivine intlueui c working there, for they are oltcn o|ipoM-d to 
the kriowlidirc and will of him who lias them, and force him 
to actions for which he can lind in him>cif neither the power 
nor the inclination. That, however, does not inii ly that 
false ideas and misundcrstandinics may not l>e mixed rp with 
them, it is net a ipic tion of revelations, hut of iiide slntcks 
meant to point them to the revc lied truth. 

Wr must not banish -iich experiences to the realm of fable. 



*i 



' Such a iiiiin iii:iy liavr .Ice p iiii|iiis>i.iiis iii'l 'itii. iiigs nl ci.ii-(i,>iii •• x.hi. li 
he i-aii iHMtlu'i iiii'li'istaii'l 'n^i iiiili>i'. Sm li i-.p. i n in I's «.-,<iiiiif in 'Ihwhuh, 
li.vtvcr, » fDriii inlill!j,Mi'lc to Iji-i SfVir.l rxHinplis i.t iiii»Tiis witli iiii 
j„ ..ii't retults !»r" (jivcii l>v Ki'iu'<'', " I'n' Mi-'i'Hi 'I'T fnii-ii Kinlirn ,hi 
i....i:»>'.isi'lit '1 .-■ :' t ,' |.. ir.'.i. 

' W,- MPO till- rf.ll'li SLHUSKl'! Willi «llli ll ti.lll ll'l.i|.l^ ll'IMSell ti> l\UHl\ llllili I 
8tHli ",. To lis. ')!. hIk. II I'.lf SHI' .1 I.Ulll |:i- n-"l,, II.- V\r,ll- 1 1 illl-"! f 111 

|<i.«i"ril; to thoso '.vhc sil in ilci Kiii^-. [I- irM-.iU Iliiiis.'ll l.y lln- lanillf 
'it;)it tif irtaiii.-! aii'l 'In- likr. 




I? 



o'J^I 






;*. 



1H2 THK IJVfNC FO|{('KS OF T1IK (JOSPKI, 

Tlioy im* t«M( wi'II iitU'^Unl ; iiimI tlicy are met with i-vt-rywlifrc 
aiiutii^aniiiiiHtic |K>«t|>leH with coiinitlorul>le ro«nilnrity. Neither 
niUHt wc nvorcHtiinnte thi-ui. Tht-y have luithiii); more than 
u |tre|iaratory sjijnitifance ; thcv lead no further than t«> the 
(h»or of the (io8|K«l. Like other Divine ri'mintlers they may 
Ik? <linre<»anled : tliey may nUo In? mi«inter|tn'te«l and abuned. 
Anyhow, in innuniend)le cases they have fnltilled their pur 
(Mme of pointing stupefied heathen tt» the jjift of the (!os|>el, 
whitli they had liitherto overl(M)ke«l. In such divinely in- 
Hueneed prot-esses of soul, whieh have abundant parallels in 
the Old and New Testaments, we see tlie sway of (Jod. 
wliosf sovereifj!?! haii<l interposes in the destiny of nu'U and 
turns their hearts like the water-I)r<>(.ks 

The same Divine interpositiiui produees another kind of 
pn'paration whieh renuiins to he «liseussed. The atlitude of 
iieatheniHm as a whojo to the (!os})el is ri^id and rejMdlent. 
All the more surprisinsj; i-» it to find in the majority of 
mission fields, truth-seekinj; souls who in the nu)st tryinj^ 
ciriiimstanees, with all around them hostile t«i the new re- 
lifjjion, oi>en their ears and lu-arts to the foreijin messa{»e. 
The.se are people who have fallen away from tlie traditional 
national relis,'ion, not fruits whieh it has ripened ; men pre- 
diN>»sed by (Jod, men in whom the jireseutiment of the 
living (!o«l, almost dead in the avera<;e heathen, has l)een 
awakened ;iiid raised to become :i longing: men in whose 
hearts a chord vibrates at the first preachiiifj of the f?t>od 
niessajje. These men with their aninia uataroliter vhrisliana 
are called t > '-»' guides and interpreters of the Christian re- 
lifjion to tlu ir heathen countrymen. They are wetlpes driven 
into hcatlienism. I lie tinal object of ntission work is the 
ebristianisinj^ of tin nation, and the missionary must not 
hesitate to baptise these individual forerunners as they 
mifrht Ih' called. For these men are destine*! to Ik; a bless- 
iuf;. The herd requires individual leaders with the courage 
to Jireak throus^h the tradition an<l show the nmltitude that 
they can Ik? ; ane Christians without suffering any harm. The 
whole udium of the violated tradition will of course fall first 



a(:kn(if;s that ci.kau tiik way 



\M 



on thiMii, luid tlii'y will siUloin «sia|»r a martyr n iloatli. Hut 



Unit itnlv htroiiutlifhs llioir own I'aitli, and inort'aM!* 



tlnir 



itlurs altir tliotn. Tlu- f^uHfrintJrt of tli 

to th 



|K»wer to (Iriiw « 

rifihteouN contribute, as su olten in history, to tlu- salvation 



ofti 



leir iK'opli 



Tlu' task of missions must certain 



Iv not U- linntctl to 



snatcliin^ these predisposed souls from the ;;eneral ruin, and 
{TiitherinL' tliem int«» a conununity of the fleet.' 'I'heie must 
he a clear lonseiousness that these uu-n, ;t> stones lirst 
broken from the wall of heathenism, serve to open an en- 



trance to the fortress, that they are <;ivin to missions 



to help 



the coii<|uest of the iiati< 



III. 



The work of tlu- missionary 



would Ik' narrow and paltry wen 



Iti 



it restricted to irainiiiij an< 



niirsinfi these seekers for (Jod. lint we may heartily rejoice in 
them, for they are ijiveii in a trying time to show that even 
a 8tublM>rn heathen p«-ople may becoMie Christian. "'*'>' 
are ;> jjiiarantee to the pioneer nii^sioiiary of the power ol (omI, 
which will ultimately shatter the citadel of lieathenism.- 

Most mission fiehls have Ikhmi doweretl by titid with such 
tirst-fruits. The Hattak Mission had one or more extra 

irovince that it 
entered. Nonimcnscn the missionary, settled under the 



ordinary men as pioneers in every nc 



trre 



atest dirticnilies and dangers at Silindiim;, a province 



till 



then coniplet«'ly closcil, wa- soon joimd by a chief Hadju 
I'ontas ; for prudential rca.sons he was not at once baptised ; 
but by his ,li.cided attitude. .Miid his personal cnnviction 
of the truth, he !,'aineil an entrance for ('hri>t!anity amoni; 
15,(MMl inhal)itants of the valley : nay. he helpe.l to 
1 it far beyond the valley. Such a forerunner can 
far greater inlluence on his people than the 
\ When the provinie of Toiia. a fortress 



tiie 
^pre 



ao 



exercise a 



r< 



oreisrn missionar 



/inz»'iicliiif ("ertaiiilj ;iiKi^<il lii> nii^si" 



nt lu UMlk ililirtlv ■'II 



any 



hi-iitliiii in whom I'lerr wag imt a li.ii.]iv ■lis|".-'itiMii t.i nn 



h. 



I. 



iviipur, lici'.iUM' il was jii 



-t 111' 



Coiiu'lii, I'HIiilai.iiu^ 



whom .li'su 



l.'su-'SfTit liisnii'^'Siiii."is Ko.v. /.iii/.ii.loiN A; wcisiiML'.ii tin 



iirhoit." A.M./.. ls'.''.i, l<- '-^M. Thiit «:i'< A wis.- |.i.- .■] 



.t for th.' 1.. 



Therte itiilivitliuil iKT.soii:ililii'» m> 



Pill I'V '-oil :nr K"'"! 'oilis ill I hi 



-I 1" 



Ml. 



•ailhlv 



i.f tl 



II' missionni 



rk when he cini sf- fVw ifsiills (Boliiur, 



y. It i.s lliiy rhii-tly who sustain him in his 



Il lien llililili I'liiIlK'''. 



20. 



MICBOCOrV HSOIUTION TBT CHART 

(ANSI and ISO TEST CHART No. 2) 




■ 36 



Its 
m 
u 



■ 2.2 



2.0 



1.8 




^ ^^PPLIED IN/HGE In 



165J Eost Morn Street 

Rochester, New York 14609 uSA 

(716) 482 - 0300 -Phone 

(716) 288- 5989 - fo« 



\iU THK MVI\(; FOUCKS OF THK (JOSPKL 






■1 






•i 
t 



of lieatlienisiii, was attacked, sonic souls were fouml there 
(|uite uncxpecti'dlv, wlio seemed to luive l)een waitint^ for 
Cliristiaiiity. and wlio renciered possible its entriMiee into the 
heathen region, champions who, after the majority liad he- 
eome Ciiristians, towered a head above all the others. When 
doinn; pioneer work in Samosir, I also received the j^ift of a 
licathen prcpareil Ity (iod. a former ma<i;ic priest, whose 
heart (!od had toudii'd. At the first hearini,' of the Divine 
invitation he threw away his idols and majjic implements, 
and bei^an with his family to lead a new life: he became an 
unwearied evani,'elist amoni; the heathen who could not 
understand his ehan<;e of conduct. Tliis man ha<l much to 
sulVer, but he was to tlu- front in all work, a <,'enuine i,'ift i>f 
(Jod to the mission. Work has recently been bejjjuu amonfj; 
the heathen in the north of the 'I'oba Sea, and soon tiiere 
also was seen a heathen equip])ed by (iod and ready to 
help. Before the arrival of the missionaries he had been 
led in marvellous ways to doubt heathenism, and had been 
brouirht to Christianity I)y a (iospel of Luke that had eonu? 
into his hands. Mis history is all the more surprisin;/, 
because no other IJattaks can read. The oral word alone 
has any chance of lieinir understood, and that only where 
the understau»lin<i is slowly opened by rei;idar instruction 
.and constant illustration. 

Lett, in his Memoirs, tells of a heathen Anui (Jahonoa, 
afterwards baptised as Fctero, who met him with o})en heart 
at the bejj;innin«i; o; his work on the west coast of Nias ami 
appropriated the (Jospel with unsuspected and iiuwplicable 
suNcei)tibility, conformed his life to it, and then earnestly 
set himself to lead his fellow tribesmen to Christ. The 
missionary Krumm vvaj-: also gifted with such a nuui, one of 
the sava^'e head-hunters. Solai,'o. who, inwardly shaken b> a 
so-called little heart-ltook. opened all the ehandters of his 
soul to the ^rood messai,'e and shot far ahead of his fellow 
countrynuMi.' The missionary Fries, in his pioneer work, has 

' Till- ixptiiiiufs (it Knimii), wlin died .i| .iii omly 11^;,, .nc liettei tiltid 
than most mission r. poils tn illustrate the lioiniiiiou uf the liviiij,' (mh) in 



ACKNCIKS THAT (M.KAH THK WAY 



!»:. 



R 



recently spoken in liis rejun-ts of sneli a man prepared l>y 
God. "The more 1 <,'rasp tli«> course of tlie ("liristianisinfj 
of our Xias peo])le : tlie more 1 eome to see that the <:ainin«» 
of tlic whole i)eoiih' for the hvini: (iod is the only hasis for 
the trainin}:j of the individual to faith, the ^'reater is my 
ijratitude for the eiuiversion of (uir Anui l>ahandiawo, who 
in his inmost heart has i^rasped the essence of the matter 
and is now jjivin^j it forth to others. Such men are not 
laboriously stni'jrht ami won: they are jiiven liy <iod and 
must he prayed for as a ^ift from (iod. 'I'o the missiiMiaries 
in Dutch New Guinea (!od <,Mve a man who yen soon 
received the Gospel with all readiness while all oUiers rejected 
it, a proof that on the hardest soil (lod's Word can make 
tlowei-s sprini; up which the Heavenly lather hath planted. 
The Uhiiie missionaries in Ovandioland in the l)e<rinninjj: 
of their ditticnlt work (ound a seeker for (iod, a very 
ilistiii<,'uished firstfruits who was iiaptised l>y the name 
.Xbruham and soon proved himself a zealous cvan<j;elist. In 
IJapediland .Merensky (piite unexpectedly came upon four 
people who, amid the darkness had been lonifin«,' for the 
(iosjiel and who were strong' enon^di ami fearless eiu)u^li to 
confess the Lord before their heathen countrynu'n ami their 
chiefs. They had lon^ been prayinj; to (!od to semi them 
missionaries. .Merensky narrates tiu' career of these men 
wiio orifjimited a mighty movement anion<j their people. 

We can thus see that, on nuiny mi.ssioii fields, (Jod is T 
tittinfi <mt men amon^ the peoples to be evanjxelised. The I 
forces of heath.enisni characti rised above and the hindrances | 
resultin<; theiefrom are jMiwerless over such men ; and the 
bridijes necesRary elsewhere vlo not need to be built for 
then\, facts that mijiht have been deemed psychoh>'?ically 
ini|)ossible. They venture boldly to leaj) tiu- ^nilf between 
heathenism and Christianity, between dirkness and lifiht, ^ 
between falsehood and truth, because (iod has led them 
and eipiipped them in a dillerent way iV t the multitude. 
Missionaries, surprised and ijladdencd by their presence, see 
in them no fruits of their own patient labour, and no ripe i 
sheaves of heathenism, but rather the immediate }j;ifts of J 






1»8 THE LIVING FORCES OF THE GOSPEL 



. * 

. ;;!,J 

Id '.; . 



Go<l. We do not mean to Hay that these men are at once 
finished Christian characters, but fron^. the first hearing of 
the (jrospel they cease to be heathen ; they go a swifter and 
Burer way into the sanctnary than is possible to otiier heathen. 
God creates such men * Himself, because He means to use 
them as pioneers among their people, and gratefully we 
behold in them a proof of the prcvenient grace <tf the 
Almighty. 

Such facts should enable us to aj)preciate the factors 
which prepare the way of the (.J<»spel in an unsusceptible 
heathen world. Sometimes this and sometimes that element 
prevails, according to the peculiar character of the people. 
But in the case of aninn'stic heathenism generally those 
factors will be discovered in the helps we have named, the 
heathen sense of misery, their longing for education, the 
superiority of Christian races, the personal influence of the 
messenger of the (Jospel, the influence of ('liristian colonial 
authorities on the heathen, divine interpositions and previous 
labours of truth-seeking souls. These, as a rule, nmst first 
do their work if the Gospel is to find hearers, and call into 
being the presuppositions needed to reveal the (iosjhjI's 
power. 

Having considered the nature of animistic heathenism and 
the grounds on which it rejects the Gospel in principle, and 
having taken account of the preparatory factors, we can 
now enter on our main (juestion. If greater or smaller 
groups of heathen not only voluntarily give up their 
traditional religion, but are made new men by the Gosi)el, 
what are the forces which the (iospel thereby reveals? Our 
simplest course would be to let the lu>athcn Christians them- 
selves answer this que-.tion. Tliey can best give account of 
their inner exi)erience. Well, so far as we have utterances 
of theirs we shall gladly present them as crown witnesses. 
But unfortunately we have little material of this kind at our 
disposal. We can easily understand that heathen Christians, 
coming over from Animism, will not be (piite able to give a 
clear analysis of what goes on in them or of the forces which 
determined them. It is with them as with a convalescent. 



A(;kx('IES that clear the way 



IH" 



He feels the returning heulth ; he rejoiies in the strength 
coursing through his feeble ImmIv, hut nobo-.ly asks hini to 
give a logically clear tlcscri|ition of his condition. What 
interest has he in the dissection of his vital powers ? It is 
sufficient for him to feel their effects. Any one who wishes 
to observe such powers must be at a certain distance from 
them. The young heathen Christiaiis whtt have come from 
Animism are as yet scarcely e<nial to such a task, whicli 
demands a psychological and theological training. We are 
therefore thrown back on the facts r.nd on the observation 
of mission workers; we shall draw our conclusions from 
these with all care. 



f 



1; 
t 



111. TIIK VICTORIOUS FORCES OF THE 

(JOSPEL 



.* 1 



Wk may take tlio course of mission work amoiij,' tlie Hattaks 
as typical of iiKMlern lVotesi;uit missions amonj^; animistic 
peoples. When lieatlienism lirst meets Christianity it 
decisively rejects it.' Hut «,'ra<lnally hy patient, persistent 
work in«livi(luals are won, who, ijowever, are thereby 
alienated from the national union. Ten or fifteen years 
elapse: then secessions increase, the Htron<? tension between 
heathen and Christian is lessened, the attractive power of 
tbe (jospel incrciuscd, till wlioh; ctmmumities, provinces and 
tril)cs pass over to the Christian camp. To-day, after forty- 
live years' labour, tlie land has been partly Christianised, and 
the time is not far distant when the inajority of the people 
will break with lieatlienism and come over to Christianity. 
A similar experience in other mission fields shows that this 
is due not to any chain of fortuitous circumstances favour- 
able to the work of Christianisini,', but to the vi<rorous action 
of laws and forces, 'i'he mission on Nias. almost contem- 
porary with that to the Battaks, passed throuf;h the same 
development. There was the laborious preparatory work, 
and now the time is [)erliaps not fiir off when the whole 
island will become Christian. The mission to the Kols, the 
Karens, in l'-j;anda, on the Nijjer, in the South Sea, as well 
as the earlier missions in Minahassa, Ambon, etc., passed 
tbrou«,di the sanic exj oriences. No civilised heathen nation 
aa a whole has yet been won. But that does not prove that 
the powers of the (Jospel tell only on uncivilised peoples. 

' The first niissionaiy whu visited Sumatra \va« oourtenualy but ilecidwUy 
told to go away. The two who followed wore murdered and eaten. Then 
came the Rhine missionaries, whose first messenj^ers had to fight with i resist 
ance they found it hard to subdue, 
188 



TllK VKTOUlors KOUCKS OK TIIK COSl'KL WJ 



In Japan, in Cliina, in India, tliero liavc hecn many indi- 
vidual conversions and niiinv ("iiristian coniirof^ations formed. 
In these eiviliised eountries, for reasons wliieli eannot Ite 
here discussed, the forces of the (iospel have not been so 
fully at work.' The soil of most uncivilised peoples has 
been better prepare*! for the reception of Christianity; in 
civilised lands a lonsjcr work of underminin<j; is needed. 

What is it that induces the heathen to '^ive up demon- 
worship ? What are the forces of the (Jospel that mature 
their resolve and translate it into action, that renew the 
nature of the man who is won, transforminjj; ultimately whole 
peoples and puttinji; them in full possession of the (Jospel 
gift? We do not speak here of the motives that lead 
t») the secession of individuals or even of groups. These 
may be of an accidental character ; they nniy be surface 
things ; occasions not causes. These do not reveal the 
powers of the (Jospel. Such 'iiotives certainly are subjecc 
to Divine control, but they ai only l)ridges leading across 
to the new land. We have dealt with these already ; they 
foUoM' fnnn the diverse manners in which the way is pre- 
pared for the (Jospel message. Heathen may tiun to 
Christianity in search of help in great distress ; in the hope 
that it will give them "^dism and social advancement. 
They may be drawn to it by the superiority of Kuropeans, 
and by the benetits of their civilisation ; by the hope of 
all kinds of gain fr'Mn the love of the missionary ; by a 
longing for peace, etc. 

()ur own religious ex])erience teaches tis that the (Jos|)el 
contains many diverse powers. In the heathen world also 
it brings into play a multitude of ])owers. The diversity of 
its gifts renders it acceptable to diverst; jieople. To the 
.lew it commends itself as the religion of fuHillcd prophecy ; 
to the (Jrcck as the true wisdom ; to the Homan as the 
perfect law ; to the (Jerman as the iilcal service of the Lord 
of heaven. Mission preaching, in spite of its simplicity, may 
be intinitcly rich and »ncsent to every one something that 

• Many reasDus for this fact may lie f^athcrcci from our (lis. ussious in the 
second Lh;iiitor of this book. 



f ' 



i'l 



' 



190 THE LIVINT, FORCES OF THE (JOSPEL 




J,::* 



helps him afterwards to (rrasp the whole. Ilamack Hays of 
the niiHHion preaching of the early < 'hiirch : " In innumerable 
cases decision was produced by one single ray of the 
light ; one num was gained by the ( Hd Testament, another 
by the exorci'^ni of demons, u third by the purity of Christian 
life, another by monotheism or by the prospect of eternal 
life, or by the depth of its speculation, or the social standing 
which he thereby obtained."' In like manner Iloch says: 
"The many-sidedness of Christianity, based as it is in the 
variety of the gifts it offers and in the eipially various needs 
of the human heart, cannot but suggest that the Oospel for 
more than one reason must appear to the heathen worthy of 
all acceptance. If Christ is made unto us wisdom and 
righteousness and sanctification and redemption, it follows 
that a desire for any of these gifts may lead a human 
heart to Christ. " The light is comprehended in very 
different degrees and from the most diverse standpoints, and 
the salvation that is in Christ has also many aspects." 

We need not expect to sec the whole fullness of the Divine 
power operate at once upon the heart of a converted 
heathen. Sometimes the foreground is occupied by this, some- 
times by that power which yet never remains in isolation, 
but must labour to draw the others to itself. What are the 
aspects of evangelical i>reaching most likely to win the 
Aniniist ? In all probability these will be whatever meets 
a felt want in the heathen heart and promises satisfaction 
to a rudimentary capacity. So far and so far only does the 
message find prepared hearts. There are empty places in 
the heathen heart which (.Christianity seeks to Hll. Nothing 
in till' (lorfpel will make any impression on the heathen save 
that which brings an answer to some conscious or uncon- 
scious (piestion of his heart. The Gospel appears to a 
heatheu worthy of acceptation when it brings a gift wine', 
meets some defect of his religion ; a defect which he perceives 
at once in the light of the offer. That gift, making him con- 
scious of his earlier destitution and error, necessarily appears 
to him valuable. If the Animist had a painful sense of his 

' Haruack, I.e., p. 87. 



THK VKTOHlorS FUUCKS <»K TIIK (JOSPKIi IIU 



[ 



low inorul condition tlio fin<t tliinir that woulil make 
Cliristiaiiity drsirahii- would prolmhiy lio its morality. This 
may i>e, in isolated c »se«, hut not as a rule. A knowledge of 
the eharaeteristie features and forees of aiiiniistie heathenism 
will show UH how t«) trace the workinjis :>f the (JosikjI. 

One of these characteristics is umxcLUJiij. The answer 
which animistic heathens give to every deeper ijuestiun is : 
" We «lo not know." * Tliey become conscious of this lack of 
certitude only when confronted with reli,i,'ious convictions 
difterin<; from their own. The messenjier of the (Jospcl 
comes to them with a delirite announcement, some sure 
information about CJod and their relation to llim, about the 
origin and destiny of man, ' '*'■ "'fter death, good and evil. 
The preachers certainty , igs which the Animist 

assumes to be genendly uiik • i'- impressive to him. He 

feels painfully his own unccHui ,a v. At tirst the effect is merely 
fonnal. The appearanct; of certainty anywhere impresses 
the uncertain. Before the heathen have attained to any 
clear conception of the contents of the message, and what- 
ever may be the attitude which they take up towards it, the 
certainty of its preachers and adherents makes them, for the 
first time, feel the uncertainty of their own inheritance taken 
over by them unthinkingly. The missionary activity of the 
Church of the first days had a similar experience, though 
their experience restetl on a difl'erent psychological biwis. 
The multitude of religior.s. each citntradicting one another, 
made men utterly uncertain ; and it drew them, in that 
consciousness of their ignorance, towards the Christian 
religion, which made a categorical demaiul for faith. 
Haruack says of this : " We should be greatly mistaken 
were we to assume tliut the bold sunmums to believe the 
authorities, and dis niss reason, acted on the majority of men 
as a hindrance to t leir accepting the Christian religion. The 
contrary was certai ily the case. The more peremptorily and 
exclusively a religion insists on the demand for faith, the 
more certain and reliable it will sciem t '-he majority to be ; 

I See pji. 75-81. 



f , 



\U2 THK \A\lSii FOIU'KS (iV TIIK (iOSI'KI- 




it> 'i 



till' more it (Ifprive.s tiioiii of tlu* duty of rcHpoiisiliility, and 
of rdlcL'tiiii.' on thr trutli of it, tlic more will tiny welcome 
it. Kvery autiiority eonfidi-ntly as(*i'rtcd lias a (Hiictiiif; 
elfoct. M(iri'()vt'r, tin- most iiaradoxicai dojiinas, siicli as 
mock all cxiHTicnfe and rational relK-ition, arc most 
wclrome ; they si'i-m to offer a f^uarantoi' that tlioy i-ontain 
iu»t mtTfly liiiiiian, and tliiMvforo unreliaiiK'. Init divine 
wis(U»ni. ' ^ That is a description of a formal jiower jxis- 
sessed l»y evan>;elic preachinii, the power of authority, as 
contrasted with the uncertainty pertainiiii; to heathonisni. 

The Mohammedan propafranda has also the henetit of this 
overmasterinj: {»ovcr of conviction. It, too, asserts some- 
tliinj^ of whose truths the |)ieaclier is absolutely certain. It 
sustains its position with fanatic zeal weakened hy no douht, 
and thereby it puts to rout the uncertainty of heathenism. 
Islam neither proves, nor jiersuades, nor disputes ; it simply 
asserts, and what has heathen ij^norancc to oppose to such 
imperious certainty ^ 

The human soul has a cravini^ for certainty rejjardinii all 
that pertains to the sui)ersensual world. Hence, the heathen 
clin<^s to his j)riest, iilad to have some one on whose know- 
ledije he can rely. He listens to the words of inspired 
mediums, and obeys them because they re professedly 
reports from a world of which the mu' anie admittedly 
know iiothini,'. Hence, also, the anxious clintjinji; to 
tradition, and to all the customs inherited from the fathers. 
The rei>resentativc of the Christion relii;ion briii<iiii<j; a 
messaj^e which is yea and amen meets, in this way. a need of 
whicii the heatli'!n was i. )t formerly conscious, but of which 
he becomes conscious at the call of that assured proclamation. 

If the messenger of the (Jospel, therefore, wishes to make 
any impression, he must himself have sure convictions. 
Slumld he conic without the assurance that he is bringing 
them the absolute and true religion, his words will find no 
echo in the hearts hungering for certainty. in the contest 
with Islam he will be defeated. He must be convinced that 
lie IS divinely commissioned ; he niust l)e prepared to sutfer, 

' llarnack, /.c, [>. 2-22. 



TIIK VKTOWIOIS 1'<U{('K> OF THK cnsPK!, ID.J 



and t(i stake liis lilo on tiic tnitli nf liis imssa},'o. Tliat aloiif 
can awakoM tlif niries|i(inilin<; cuMvictiun in tlio lii-aris nt tlu" 
lieatlKMi. \.vt liiiM atlniit in liis liiart tliiit (.'liristianitv is 
not the al)solnto trutli, hnt only a jjood n-Iipion, tlio best, 
porliaps, oxistinj;, and liis jiowor is ^joni'. Konnally con- 
sidered, liis preacliinji wonld make iim impression. " I'liless 
he (the nnssi«)nary) is firmly convinced that he is iMin^int; 
the heathen sonietliin<? which they lack and which they 
neetl ; that Christiai ity is meant for all mankind ; iliat it 
contains 'le truth : he had hettir remain at home, ft»r ho 
will work in a half-hearted way, and his w()rds will lack 
the compellin"; power which attends only ujutn words sus- 
tained hy faith's absolute assurance." ' The immovable 
certainty of faith is the only power capable «)f brin<rin<; over 
to itself men of another way of tliinkinj,', and of satihfyin«i 
the hearts of i;,'norant men who are lonj.nnj,' for sometliin;^ 
certain. The man not firmly convinced that Christianity is 
a rtlii,'ion for the whole world will lack the power which 
that conviction j^ives, and had better '^ive up all tlnmiiht of 
mission wcn'k. Such a missionary " comes to t!ie heathen 
sayiiiij, I briiifjc you a new relii^ion ; but whether it is the 
perfect relis^ion I d(» not know. He wouhl be a very simple 
heathen who wcmld be tempted by that kind of prcachiiij,' to 
j^ive uj) the reliiiion in which he was born antl \ mI." Speak- 
ing fronj Ills own experience, a missionary ileclares that 
" preaching to the heathen must be very definite. The 
preacher Jiiust, at all times, be rca«ly t<i lay down his life 
for what he preaches. X(» sermon will make any impression 
on hard heathen hearts that is not delivered with i)erfect 
assurance. I have always found that the form in which the 
prophets preached to the common people is the standard 
for preachinj,' to the heathen. . . . They stand forth as 
messengers of (iod with a. Thus saith the Lord . . . 
Preachers to the heathen should know that tlioy are owned 
of (Jod when they firmly believe in the words they j)reacli.' 
Kvery forciL^n missionary will af^reo with that. Firmness 

' Mirl't. ■• l>'u iniHTi' Bcrfilitiguiif,' uml Knift dir Christiiituiiis /ur 
Weltmissioii, " p. 4C4. 



|>; 



104 TIIK MVIN(; FORCES OF TlIK (;<)SPEL 



•■^1 




•f 






of conviction is the only tliinp; that Itegetw confidcm-e in 
the words lioiinl ; tlio certainty of the prencliorconimnnuates 
itself to the liearers. 

It is important to notice also that this bcftrer of certain 
knowiedfje has, by tlie purity of his life, shown himself to 
be trustworthy, and has led the heathen to put faith in his 
words. When such an one accompanies his proclamation 
of the savin<j; acts of (Jod with the emphatic declaration : 
We are His witnesses, Ilis testimony cannot fail to make an 
im])ression. Clearly, then, the testimony of livin^j men has 
advantajjes, many and sre*"**- ♦'^'^'" *'"»* "^ t''*' written or 
printed word. The printed book certsiinly briufijs a sure and 
autlioritative knowledj^je, but it lacks the support of a trust- 
worthy witness, stakin<j his life on the truth <>♦' his message. 
Among uncivilised peoples a personal offer of the (Jospcl is the 
necessary thing. The written or printed word is inehectivc 
for the most part, at least, in purely heathen regions. Its 
power of testimony is only among ])eople.s whose faculty 
of judgment is more developed.^ 

Missionary ])reacliing must therefore take tho form of 
assertion. It was so with the preaching of the Apostles. 
They testilicd of what they had seen and heard. They 
did not prove or i)ersuade, but asserted ; they starved, 
suffered, and died for the truth of their words, so they won 
hearts, mastered bv the certainty of a message in itself 
strange and paradoxical. Certainty about the declared 
acts of (Jod is never produced by proofs or disputations; 
it leaps up in the hearts of the hearers like the electric 
spark. The thing proclaimed lies in a region inaccessible 
to logical or historical proofs, on the further side of better 
understanding or want of understanding. The dogmatic 

' Tracts and Cliristian literature can only be of use in those parts of the 
heathen \v<irlil win iv men are aceiistonied to draw th»ir knowledge from 
books, or where -■mi' knowledfje of tlu' Uosptl has jvereolated from neigh- 
bouring regions .md awakened curiosity to learn its contents. Moreover, the 
heathen is jiroiM to connect s\i[>er.stitious notions with the " book " of the 
mis.sionary. win ii he supposes to be a book of magic (cf. j). 167, note 3). It 
is olten advisible to leavi> the book at first in the background. It has no 
authority w here (.lod is not vet known. 



TIIK VHTollHUS F(»|{( lis OK TIIK COSl'KI, I'j:. 



form of jirt'siMitation l>y ii iktsoiiuI witiu'ss. fonliriiK'd l)y 
the suHcrinj,' of tliat witiu-ss for tlio trulli of what lu> sav.-i. 
has provt'il .Hiu-fcssful in every forei^ni iiiission-fieli wlietlier 
ainonj^ eivilised or iiiieivilised |H'oj>les. Tlie lost waiulerer 
iiiust have tlie rij^lit way poiiitid out ilearly. eate<,'ori»"ally. 
The poKitivenesc of tlie <;Hi«U' i^ives liiiii eoiilideiiee, ami it 
reinoves umertainty : hi strikes into the tlireition iu»iiitctl 
out, and never a>l\s for iir<M)fs. 

Tliis, 1 repeat, is a formal power of tiie (lospel. The 
spread of Mohanimedanism and of irrievons errors in the 
C'liristian Clnireh proves that a false mess!i;je, tlelivired 
with the eertainty of eonvictioii, may he helieved. it is 
neeessary tliat other powers of the (iospel eome into 
operation. For heathenism is not merely nneertainty ; it 
is a eomplex of powers. Hnt as nneertainty heloiiiis funda- 
mentally to animistie heathenism, and eonstitutes the 
essential weakness of its position, the evaiifji'li"-- preaehiii'- 
must enter the arena as a witness sure of its eonvi^•tion^ 
if it is to win a hon»e for its vietorious powers. Kiiterinj? 
j the lists against the powers of darkness withoiit an ini- 
I movable confidenee in its vietory, it is defeated ere the 
i battle is be<?un.' 

Heathenism is bi.rdened with uneertainty because it is 
built uj)on a lie. We sa v above that lyinj; powers are at 
work in heathenism fettering the ideas of truth whieh it 
contains, and be<j;ettiiii; an atmosphere of falsehood wherein 
the animistie Ih athen are as ready to lie an<l dective as 
they are to be deluded and deceived in the most sliameless 
fashion.- This lyinj^ jjowcr, whieh has disordered the 
heathen's power of juduiment in moral and relij^jious (jues- 
tions, is opp<)sed by the (Jospel as objective truth, as a 
message which must be true because it comes from (Jod 

' "The heathi'ii must lie niaiic to feel tliat tliv iiiissioiiaiy is s|K:ikinf; 
about sometliiiif,' oU wliicli, he is convinced, life and ileath ilepeiid. They 
must "et the eonvirtioii that he speaks lieeanse he helievos, and desires 
above all to make them also believe, that they may become the children of 
Uod and heirs of the kingdom of heaven." 

' See pp. 88-»6. 



I 



196 TIIK LlVrXC FOIICKS OF TMK (;()SPKL 



!■ 



..' 1 



Himself. That biinjjH soniotliinj; entirely new within the 
h()ri/.on of the aniniiHtie heathen, n reli<j;ion jirofessinj? to 
be revealed. The idea of revelation is an idea unknown 
to animistic reli<?ions. None of the relij^i'^ns of the Indian 
Archipelafio or Africa has ever conceived of God making 
Himself known to men.' All their reIi<?ious knowledjje is 
derived from the ancients, not from god or gods. 

What is the attitude of animistic heathenism to this 
assertion of the (i!os])el that i*^ is revealed by (!od? We 
should have expected the heathen to reject emphatically 
this offer of absolute truth as a thing unproved and un- 
provable. IJut that is not so. So long as the missionary 
is little known, such objections may be heard as, How do 
you know that your religion is from («od ^ If you can 
raise the dead we will believe you. But this is said only 
by peojjle who have no conception of the new message, or 
by those who have good reasons for turning aside from 
them the sliarp sword. Such sayings also soon cease. The 
greater number treat the (Jospel with indifference; some 
treat it with hostility : but it is not its claim to be revelation 
that gives offence. Those who have resolved to be hearer' 
of the word, and who have confidence in its herald, find 
no ditlicidty in this idea of revelation. Tliere is no need 
to demonstrate its probability or possibility, for no one 
doubts its reality. Somtthing in the preached Gospel 
convii I's the heathen of its divine origin. During my 
evangelistic work no heathen ever asked me how he was 
to know that tiie message was true and that it came from 
(ilod. The heathen's attitude is one of simple assent or 
rejection ; no one objects that he has t«) do with a message 
from (iod or fnmi the (<od of the white peojde.- What 

' Muliaiiiin(Ml:iiii-iii only ii]i|ii'iii'< witli tliis |iii'ti'nsi<iii. I'ul it lias borrowod 
tliis iili'ii, vvhii li is loioii,'!! tci [lulytlieistic hi'iitheiiisiii, from Cliiistianitv, 
whoso snvili' iiniliitoi it is. 

- Aiiiiiiig till (liiistiiiii US well as licatlien Hattaks tlie CosimI is called 
"God's Wniil," aiiioiif; tin- Niassers "(iod's ru loni " (law); Christians are 
calli'd "tliuso who have CimI's word." Standing; under an illumined 
Christmas t; e in Sifaoroasi (Nias), a heathen e:»el.iimed, "So all that our 
priests say is liodilcss (i.e. without reality, fra-iiU ; what the niis-ciuuary says 



TIIK VIlTOUlors FOKCKS <)K TIIK COSPKI. l!»r 



ultiiiiiiteU' deters many from sij)i)roi)riiitinf; the "' word of 
(Jod" is not doubt as to its divine orijjin, l)iit reasons 
hclonfjinji; to the moral sjtliere, nii\villinij;nesH to make theni- 
selves dci)endent on (Jod, or too j^reat inchdenee to relleet 
on the impressions tliey liave received. The truth attests 
itself.' The Indonesian wouhl meet all reasonin<;s of human 
wisdom with doubts or subtle rational objections, but 
heathenism based upon lies is shattered by the simple 
truth. Nourished on lies all his life, the heaJien is con- 
vinced of the truth of revelation, even when he does 
not yield himself to its discipline. Contradiction, elsewhere 
so beloved, is silent in its presence. That the messai^e 
professes to come from (iod Himself is its attraction. The 
heathen thirsts for authority, and he is willing to submit 
to it if he is convinced that behind the authority is power. 
In presence of the (Jo.spel, which is <rrounded on the 
authority of truth because it comes from (mkI, he acknow- 
ledf^es the falseness of his own relii^ion, even when by 
no means inclined to n;ivc it up.- The commt'.nicatioii 
from (iod, attested thereby as divine, contains in itself the 
evidence of its certainty. The Ten Conniiandments, also, 
with their detinite " tlum shalt," "thou shalt not," are 
impressive; the heathen hears in then; the voice of (Io«l. 
In Sumatra and Xias we have often seen the deej) im- 
pression whicii the DecalofTue made, and the absolute 
approval it met. There is somethini,' stren^theninjj; to one's 
own faith in seeint,' the immediate effect which the word 
of truth has on rude heathen hearts. 

The self-.ittestiition of revealed truth in the heathen world 

is not liis own invt-ntiun, Imi i.s olitainid fruni (iod's wonl." Tliat saying 
was not inspiii'd liy aiitliority, Imt was sj.okfn i|iiili; inipiiLsivoly unilri" the 
inl]>re^'^ion of the Chrihtnia.s inessaf^c, 

' Paul can make the same boast of his hcatlion Chiistiaiis, Tliey received 
tlip jiroelamation whieli tliey heard of him, not as tlie word .if man, l.iil .is it 
is in tnilli tlie word of (Jod il Tliess. ii. ]:!). 

- An inijiortant heath, ii Kwe said : " The axe is a very little weapon, and 
it i.s aiiplieii to the thiiki'st tree, (."hristians are the hiandished axe, their 
niunher is small, hut they will hiini; the great tree of luathenism to tl,.- 
ground." I'hri.stiaiis, Iheiefore, are freed from the olwervam-e of heathen 
laws. For " we have no desire to i.e found always sliivni" .i.'iinst r,u,\ ; we 



/ I 



lim TIIK LIVIMJ ForUES OF TIIK (JOSPEL 



I 









is possible only beciuisc it meets a natural nec»l of the Imnian 
heart. Kvcn the most depraved iiejvtlien lon<j;s for contact 
with (Jod, and therefore for authentic knowled<?e of Him, a 
knovvle(l},'e which God alone can ^'ive. Revealed truth, how- 
ever, unless it were a power from («od, could not have such 
effect on heathen minds which, eutanj^led in a system of lies, 
have lost all knowlcdije of their position an»l all capacity for 
jud.«,'in<^. The revelation which the heathen needs for his 
recovery is not a knowledge of the supernatural <;radually 
wrought out by the thinkinij; portion of mankind; for such 
spiritual culture the animistic worhl is far from bcin<i ripe ; 
it would conic into disastrous collision with the course of 
the people's developnuMit. Hut the experience of missions 
proves that the heathen are ripe for a self-connnunication of 
(lod and that they understand it at once. The claim of 
Christianity to be a reli<,'ion revealed by (Jod seems to otter 
to heathenism the broadest surface for attack, for it gives 
and can <j;ive no proof of this necessary foundation for all its 
offers and demands. Hut no heathen ever asks for such 
proof. He has an inner experience of the truth of what he 
hears. There is something within him that responds with 
the certainty t)f an echo.^ It is not credulity ; it is that he 
is mastered by it : it is not want of judgment ; it is that he 
is inwardly laid hold of by the Divine. 

The message of revealed truth appeals to the conscience, 
that is, to the organ for the Divine in man. Stunted as this 
is in the heathen, it is awakened by the offer of the truth. 
As the inm, ' uried it may be for centuries in the earth, 
responds to the magnet once in contact with it, so the long- 
buried consciencf turns to the Divine word at its first call. 
This appeal to the conscience is also supported by the Spirit 
of (iod. The heathen feels inwardly the power of the truth. 

liavc seen tliat it is vain," said the liualheii (./. J/. /^., 18S:i, [>. -16^ It is 
not .1 iiiPie pluasp wliL'ii Batlaks again and iifjain aiiswor : " Your word is 
true ; it is (iod's word -but I liav» tliis or that to do liot'ore I oomo." 

' A candidate lor baptism in Ovauiboland said to tlio missionary Wull'horst : 
"Teacher, it is true; surely . surely, it is true; God's word is true. I feel 
it ; 1 have siiiiiethiuf; of the peace of tJotl. Heally, really it is so. I feel it 
in my heart." 



THE VICTORIOUS FORCES OF THE OOSl'EL liM) 

He is iieviT tr»»ublcd by doubt. Hciitlieii Cliristiiiiis und 
ciitoebunieiis liuve iiiiuiv sins and wc'i'knrssi-s of all kinds, 
often somewhat j^ross ; bnt tlicy know notliinj; of one tbinji; 
that gives us much trouble, namely, thmbt of the truth ol 
the messaj^e that has come from above.' Tlie mission of 
the early Church had the same experience. Paul, in liis 
Epistles, {^ivcs us many a f^limpsc of the defects of his 
comnnmities, and these are sometimes very yreat ; but it 
is si<j;niticaut that he never needs to arjjue aj^ainst doubt. 
He eomcrt into conflict with doubters t>nly once, viz., in 
the fifteenth chapter of First Corinthians, but it is not 
the fact of .lesus' resurrection that is called in (jucstion, 
for the Apostle makes the raisinjj of Christ the basis of his 
demoustruti(m. No heathen Christian (pu'stions the truth 
of (lod's deeds as declared in tin- Cospel. I have never 
heard of a catechumen or heathen Christian turnin<,' back 
to heathenism because be could not master his doubts. 
Doubt of the truth, that is t(» say of the divinity of the 
evangelic news, never barred the wav to faith on the part 
of an animistic heathen. When a ( liristian falls away to 
Mohanmiedii n or relai)ses into heathenism it is never 
because Islam or the religion of his fathers seems to him 
to furnish a surer guarantee of truth than Christianity ; 
it is always the result of practical considerations, family 
entanglements, fear of martyrdom, earthly niindedness, and 
similar motives, the worthlessness of which he himself ad- 
mits. Animistic heathen are certainly credulous and open to 
various inHuences ; a superficial observer might be inclined 
to attribute their assent to the truth of the (lospel to their 
credulity. Hut this credulity is found only within the 
precincts of their owi: religion ; they believe every magician 
and soothsayer, and though often deceived have confidence 
in their magic arts. Everything outside that is reviewed 
with deepest distrust and rejected with caution. If, not- 
withstanding this, men still far from thinking of secession 

'The do 'its whiili are umiicliiiu-s i)ii|>ost'(l to tin- niisvioiKiiii-^' picm hiiig 
in India, .lapaii.and Cliiii.i iiif mostly buirow.d I'nmi the Kiir(>]ii;iii «iiiiuiiry. 
Genuine heathenism lias no doubt rigardiiig the l.'liiistiau mcssaj^u. 



200 TIIK LIVIX(J FORCKS (>V TIIK (JOSI'KL 






rcfojiniso tlie CliriHtiaii preadiiiif; to be true aiitl have no 
doubt of tiic fact of its revelation, the power that eiMKpiers 
their (lihtrust must lie in the truth itself, wliieh by its simple 
uttenuiee approves itself divine to hearts that are even 
antipathetic. To the heathen wanderinj; in the mazes of 
lyinj,' and uncertainty, with hearts darkene<l and brutalized 
by fear and demon worship, the truth comes ; it shines into 
them and makes them susceptible, which proves that their 
hearts have an affinity for revealed truth. 

A<j;aiii it is clear that only those who believe ♦ at the 
Christian rclisxion is revealed by (Jod ean count on winninj; 
the heathen by the power of the truth. They only l;o forth 
in the belief that revealed truth camiot but conipier heathen 
hearts; like Paul they renounce the ar<^uin<jrs of reason and 
the i»y-ways of worldly s,i'_racity and proclaim the revealed 
acts of (i!o<l, sure that these carry their own coninieiidati(m 
with them. A missionary wh(» does not believe in the 
revelaticui of the Christian rcli<,non cannot rely on its power, 
and he will make no impression. For the heathen them- 
selves have a reli-rion non-revealed, and what thev need is 
contact with (Jod. Nothing but a mcssajifc elaimin<; to come 
from (lod Himself slumld ever enter the arena against 
animistic heathen : it only ean have any possible superiority 
in the eyes of the heathen to the relijrion they have inherited 
from their fathers. They believe they can o])pose to every 
other reliu;ion on-' of cipial value. If we ^'ive up the claim 
of brin<,nnjj; Christianity as a revelation of (Jod t<> the 
heatlicn worltl we must be content to see that world, .sooner 
or i.;ter, passin<j; over to Islam, for Islam claims to be a 
revelation, and by that claim the heathen national cults will 
be put to rout. 

If we do not j?t) to the heathen as bearers of a revebition we 
have no ri<,'lit to destroy with brutal hands their animistic 
view of the world or rob them of their fatalistic belief which 
gives them stren<j;tii amid the wretchedness of life. Their own 
religion is in that, ease really better, for it is in Iiai iiy with 
their spiritual level and their capacity. The missionary wi. » 
is not in.spired by the whole (Jospel revelation will really 



TI:K VnCTORHU S FOUCKS of TIIF (JOSPFL Jdl 



liave imtiiiiiii to reply to tlie protest of tlie AniiniHt: " <Mir 
reliy;ioii is <^ooil lor us as yours is for yon. ' Were Cliristi- 
aiiitv inerelv the liidiest staw of liumaii «leveioiimeiit reacl; il 
us yet, it would be no more suited to people at the In-jiiii- 
nin<i of that develojnnent than the lii;.'lR'r eivilisation that 
is also a sudden irruption anionj; a primitive people. That 
eivilisation not oidy jiroduees earieatures, hut is often more 
a eurse than a hlessinjr, hecaiise they have not fjained it hy 
their own eiforts. The C'Inistianity wiiich is a produet of 
the human mind w(ndd only he suited to the developed 
jtortion of mankind who hy their mental diseipline are eajiahle 
of understanding it. It could not he of any advanta;;e to 
Animists and polytheists, hceause they would have to jiass 
throufjh all the staurcs of relij^ious dcvel(»i»ment before they 
eoidd inwardly appropriate it.' The watelnvord would then 
he not the evani^elisation hut the education of the luitions. 
Or, more correctly, it would he to leave them to themselves ; 
for any interference in their .straufje mental life would (udy 
deranjje the natural course <»f their development. 

The (iospel however claims to come from (iod ; it is meant 
for peo|)le of all staj^es of cidture and can be understood by 
all. The joyousness with which Animists receive the " word 
of (Jod " proves that, in s])ite of their feeble intclliuence and 
perverted morals, they are ripe for its lecejktion. The idea 
of revelation justifies itself in the heathen world. We see 
here an inherent power of the (Jospel, the power of truth, 
the communication of the Divine brought by (mmI Him- 
self to humanity, and con(pierin<i; from within all human 
errors. Here lies the secret of the suci'css of foreii^n 
missions. 

Convinced of the reality of this power the missionary 
must still <:;ward aij;ain.st one dan<j;er. He must not endea 
vonr to aujiuient the [)ower of truth by violent assaults on 

' " Cliristiaiiity Ii.im then lost llio iidviiiitniji' of nl)si)liit(' sMpiiioiit} : it 
takes II special place ii. 'iio relii,'iiiu.« ilevel(i]iiiient. It will liave a lieiii'tiiial 
iiilhience solely on the nist ami inuiie.linte .-.t.itjes of that ilevelopiiieiit. IT 
it comes to men on a nui>-li lower stage it will contiisc them" (K;ihlei', 
" Anj;pwaM<lto I'o^'meu," p. o.j.s). 



13 



202 TIIK LIVIXC KonCKS OF TlIK (iOSIMlL 



licatlicnisiii. ("ertaiii of the iinii|Ut' |M)\vi'r of liis nicssa<;o, 
he should refrain from tryiiij; to demolish the idols 
and symbols of heathenism, whether by violenee or by 
mockery. That makes no impression on the heathen, at 
least not the imjiression which the messenjjer of the (Jospel 
intends when he ridicules their rcliujion, when he disputes 
with Uioekery or irony, ttr with rude hand destroys their 
fetiches and amulets. Viewd from the ('hristian stand- 
point, heathenism seems for the most part a caricature of 
relif^ion, yet to the heathen himself it is a sacred and serious 
thinjj. lie has a rii,'ht to demand that his relif^ion be so 
treated. Mockery of his religion meiuis t<» him mockery 
of relij^ion j^enerally. That path may lead to irrclijiion ; it 
does not lead to a new faith. Any one who wishes to restore 
the heathen to health by an operation nmst i»rocecd anti- 
septicaliy ; he nuist sec that no jioisoiious germs of deeoni- 
posin<^ mockery adhere to his knife. 

The missionary inclined to disputation and raillery will 
at first know far too little of the heathen relinjion to be able 
to direct aii;ainst it any effective shafts. inMead of hurting 
idolatry he will make himself ridiculous.^ His ironical 
assertion, Von worship wood and stcme which are devoid of 
life, will call forth laughter, for no Aiiimist worships wood 
and stone ; the carved figures conceal soul-stuff in a special 
degree or are animated media of spirit worshij), such as the 
ancestor images of the Nia: sii-s, Papuans, etc. If he tries to 
make a sacrifice ridiculous by saying : The food offered is not 
consumed by the spirits, for it remains where it was placed, 
he only betrays his ign(»rance of the animistic idea of sacrifice, 
for no heathen believes that the spirits appropriate the 
nuitt of the food : it is the soul contained in it, the vital 
powci, ' ich they take from the sacrifice. The important 

' Mprcnsky, /.'■.. ]i. 131 : " \Vc rarely ventured to arf,'U(' aj,'ainst the 
bt'ntlit'ii views ami usajjes ul' the peojili', heoaiise this reiiuircil an exact 
and iirorouiii! knowhdf^i- of this side ol the people's lite which at that time 
we had not." Missionary Becker in East Africa jiot, from a man whom hs 
sought to reason cut of his superstitious notions, the answer : " Tliere are tiling.'! 
you do not know, lieeau.se you have only been a sli(jrt time with us. Later, 
you will come to know." 



TIIK VUTORK »'S FOUCKS (>F TIIK Cnsl'KL '2o:\ 



thing even for Iivin<; men is luit tiir iiiattcr of tlie food tlioy 
eat but the mouI which it eontains. Tlif mis>i«)narv has, 
therefore, every reason for keepinj; in chev-k his mockery. 
Tlie dreadful jxtwer of iieathenism over men s minds wonhl 
have weak fuundatiouH if it conhl he overcome hysueli chea|» 
polemics. 

The breaking up of imaj^es and the » >trnetion of saiietu- 
arie« do not in the mind of the heathen injure I'.uropeai-.s, Itut 
they injure the natives. f?npi)()se that a missionary in 
Dutch East India or in Africa should demolish or disti<,'ure an 
idol and then say: You see that your spirits do n<ii!i!n<: to 
me, therefore they are helpless, and 1 advise you to leave 
them, — what impression would he make :" Those cncerne*! 
wouhl think: tlie white man has spoken well, the spirits 
have no power over him, for he is under another jiod and 
belongs to another i>cople ; but their wrath will fall on u». 
No lieathen will see a proof of the weakness of his gods in 
a European escaping hurt. " We summoned all the g( ds of 
the Toradja and challenged them to punish us for 5>reachii)g 
ab<mt the living (!od, but the Tonidja told us that the gods 
could do us no harm, but might do them harm.' The 
savage Papuans on a voyage were afraid of an evil spirit. 
To prove the groundlessness of their fear the missionary, 
Van Ilasselt, began to row himself, hut the oidy result was 
to make the Papuans say : "The spirit will (h> nothing to you 
white men, but he may harm us blacks." The same reply was 
heard on Liike Xyassa. The liasutos thought that the Cod 
of the white men is their t)od whom they serve, but the 
Basutos, if they would be happy, must serve their own gods. 
Schneider says of the bush negroes of Suriname : "If the 
missionary seeks to prove to them the impotence of idols 
by violently attacking them, he is tolil : 'Uurreligum is only 
for us blacks and therefore suih things (ht not injure you. 
We, on the contrary, wouUl be smitten by the judgment of 
the gods.' '' In the early days of mission work in Simuitra, 
the Battaks would allow no mission-.iry to enter their sacred 
grove : they did so from no fear that harm might befall the 
white man, which indeed they would have wished. No ; they 



'i 



201 TIIK LIVINC FOIU'KS OF TIIK (;(»srM:h 



I 



;t 



tri 
V* J» 

•. I.'-* 



were afrauJ tliat the insulted spirit woiiM aven<jr«' liiiiLself 
upon them, his worsliippers, hound to him hy oatli.' 

leonochistif measures excite tlieir aiificr, for Auiniists 
believe that the iconoclast, without endiini,'erin^ himself, is 
brinfring danger cm their head. Kxperieneed missionaries are, 
therefore, very cautious in their poleniits. Van Hasseit, 
after twenty-five years' work among the I'apnaiis of Dutch 
New (luinea. says : "I have given up all keeti disputation 
against idolatry and against the peo|)IeH ciingin<j; to it. I am 
not entirely sileni on the matter, lint the power of preaching 
is not tiiere. " A Shand)ala said to a yimng nn'ssionarv in 
Fast Africa : " Vou nmst not think that we are not pained 
by your saying that the wonls of our fathers are lies. - It is 
not wise to disturb the sacrificial festivals or cut «loMn sacred 
trees where the soil of heathenism has not l)een prepared.'' 
The Kuropean »h)es not thereby prove to them tn- impotence 
of their idols, he only wounds tlieir religious feelings and 
increases their fear. It is dillercnt later when heathen 
Christians themselves are bold enough to smash some image 
of the ancestors, or cut down a sacred tree, 'i'heir poleuiic 
is felt to be conclusive by their countrymen, for they 

' Tlio raimaiis (if Diitjh New (iiiiiica tliunulit tli.^ iiiis-.ioiMii's were 
to lilaiiip for ail eiiiilciiiio. The aiioestciis wnc aiij,'iy lii'iaiisc of tlii'in, 
Imt sni f thiir giaiuli'hildrcn, not the oliindtr (Van llassclt. /.'■., p. 
148). 

- In the island tVrain, I)i)iiiiiii' I!nin<l di"<lroyiMl an. I Imin.'d tlic " IV'vil's 
house," the Iieathen tenijilc in Kailiolio. The result was a iiniin- adhciiiici' 
to lirathi'iiism. In Diiiiia (Halniahcia) tin' niissionaiy \"aii Dijkin piildicly 
burned spirit houses (little hoiise^' of the ihad) liefoiv thecliMrcli. Heathenism 
raised , head hijjiier in reaetion a<,'aiiist the deed. When a Kmiiish iniest 
forcilily snatehed the aninlets from a Madai^ascar ehief and tljiiw them into 
the tire, the ehief in his wrath slew him. The missionary l-'eyiie, on the Xi^er, 
ineautionsly raged against heathen usages, human sacriliees, killing of twins, 
Jioisoncd cup, ete., the only result of which was that the King of Onit.sha 
reproved him, and allowed him only to pieaeh alioiit snhjccts he approved. 
That forced him todi.scontinuo public worship. The missionaries Spii^th and 
Osternieyer maintained in the disoussion of the IJrenier. Koutiii. Miss, fonf., 
1905, that it is utter folly to provoke the heathen by lailiiig against their 
errors (" Verhandlungen," p. 10:j). 

■' The Hiu(hi considers that tolerance belongs to the noblesse of a relii'ion 
of the importance of Chri.stianity A propaganda which employs any con- 
straint makes him distrustful (.Stosch, "Indieii," p. 213). 



TIIK Vl( TOHinrs F(»H(KS OF TIIK (KJSPKL 205 



too arc iiiidcr tlic i'vil-l)riiij,'iii« jiowt-r ttl" tlicir tlnnoiis iiml 
ancestors. 

IMslcrtcstilics tliiii siidi polemics liuvc no coiiviiicin<,' power 
aiiionir the Shanil.ala. " We iniijlit try to ri.lieiile the olijccts 
of their fear: and this is the procednre wliicli tlie novic" is 
inclined to foHow. He takes up holdk a little nniiric vase 
sncli as is hidden in tlie inai/.e held, and shatters it. Or he 
nu-ets a serpent, and sends a ball throiijih its head, and says : 
Why are you stupi<l Macks so superstitions ? Don't liclieve 
all these alisurditics. That earthenware vase and this dead 
serpent cannot harm you. Ves, yes, |{wana, is cried frtirii 
all sides, we are very stupid and you are rii,'ht. We <lo not 
believe in Hic.-e thin.i,'s. It is only our nicdicine-nion who 
Lave so trained us. IJut next inornini,' these same blacks 
may be seen runnin',' anaiii to the oracle with their old four, 
and if they nllect at all on what the Knropcan .said to them the 
day before, tliey say to tliemselves, • .\|i, yes! it was easy for 
iiim to speak ; he is a white nnin and himself a <;reat ma<,'ician 
to whom the ma;,nc of our '.greatest nnij^ician can do no 
harm.' .\nd ^lioidd they once more encounter the .same 
Kuropean, they will take i,Mod care to show him no nnw 
of their snperstilions. ' It would only make him ilcride us! ' 
No, this patli a!j;ain and au'ain has been proved impractic- 
able. Kveii Zin/endt)rf warned his first messent^ers ai,'ainst 
such tactics. It is daii<j;erous "to correct or punish with 
untimely /.eal people who do not Iclontj to our camp, — tinit 
is, to challinLje the swine to turn ;iiid rend us. ' 

Heathen rcli!.riou>ness is tleterminctl by fear, iiut fear is 
never removed by derision or mere violence, as we sec in the 
case ol' frightened children, lieathcnism is <;roanini; under a 
burden of misery and need. Who would care to achl to the 
jfrief of miserable men by pourin<f the contempt of mockery 
on their nnhappiness ;• The ^'reat .\postle to the (ientiles, 
pattern for all missittnaries, in spite of occasiomil ironv, 
neither destroyed nor ridiculed any sanctuary. The ollicials 
in Kphesus testified of I'aul and his companions, "These men 
are neitiier robbers of churches nor blasplienuMs of our <;oils" 
(Act.s xix. '.ijl It is of no u.se to mock the doings of the 



li 



M 



200 THK IJVINC rolJCKS OF TIIK (JOSPEL 

musician and brand tliom as «leoopti()ns. The lieutlien Himply 
do n«»t hflifvc till' missionary wlion lie says so. No one 
aeciuainttd with animistic heathcnisni will venture to say 
that overythinj; (hmo l>y the ma<,'ician or the spirit medium is 
absolute deception. .Vnyhow the heathen arc finnly con- 
vinced that the spirit of their ancestor sin-aks to them through 
the medium, and tlial the ma«jie priest is able to traflic with 
spirits. Mockery will only injure the mocker in the eyes of 
the Idindly belicvin«r heathen. The weapon of derision 
shoidd be "wielded only by those who have been themselves 
involved in the whtde entanjijlenient of lies as deceivers am' 
deceived, and have been delivered from it, if. heathen Chris- 
tians and, above all, converted priests. I have often seen 
strikinj,' residts from the witin ■-. of one such person am'>n<j 
the heathen. The solemn awe of the i)C(»ple in preseuc »»f 
the dreaded man has oidy to be seen to make one feel that 
his throne is t<»(» lirndy' established to be overthrown by 
derision. But if this dark profession, and if heathenism in 
<,'eneral, is inspired by powers of darkness, we nnist seek 
shar{)er weapons for the coidlict than those of sheer violence 
or contemptuous ridicule. 

Uncivilised men are deeply impressed by the superior 
wisdom of white men, but the impression is not deej) enou<?h 
to make a mockin<r word or a brutal act of violence to shake 
their alleuiance to the reli.!,'ious traditions in which their lives 
are rooted. The messen<jer of the (Jospel will not, of course, 
conceal his view of the heathen relijjion ; but he will not 
make such discussi.ms the startinp-point of his message ; he 
will speak on the subject, but never offensively, and only in 
co'mection with the positive offer of the new religion. We 
do not i)ring the spring by plucking off the withered foliage ; 
the new buds must push aside the old dead leaves. When 
the ncirroes in Snriname were called on to destroy their idols 
and give up their heathen cultus they answered, "We shall 
not cast out the dirty 'vater till we have got clean water." 

It is imitossible also to convince the animistic heathen of 
the falseness of their religion, and of the truth of God's 
revelation, by nieiins of logic and deductions of reason. 



THE VKTOUHUS I'OHCKS OF TIIK COSI'KK ^2o7 



RoliKioUM lift' is iu»t prodiurd Iiy logical I'xpor^itiuns, nnd 
rolifjioiw errors are not e(»iii|iuTe<l liy eiili<;liteiiiiieiit.' Civili- 
siition ami etiucation liave faiietl to Hjiroot ol<l riistoiiis 
and superstitions anion<; Kiiropean peoples, edueated and 
iinediioatcd alike. Even in C'liristendoni, notliin<; Imt inward 
reli};iousness, that is a true relation to (!od, comiuers ruper- 
stition and false reiiiiions notions. For that reason we do 
not ajjree with those who would first educate the heathen, in 
the hope that their ahsunl superstitions will melt away 
Iwfore the rays of enli<;htenment. Were this theory true, 
the most hijjhly educated heathen people would he the most 
enlijihtened reli}ii(nisly. Hut the crassest superstition and 
fear of spirits are rampant in India and China as formerly 
in the hrilliant Itonian Kinjiire. The Animist heathen has no 
desire for religious enli.i;htenmeiit. \o donht he would like 
to fathom the white man's arts, and possess his nniskets, 
machines, au«l wealth : his religion, however, remains un- 
shaken hy the maj^ic (»f European education. The Animist 
cannot imai<;ine how any one can oflcr him education without 
religion- Stran}i;e as Christianity is to him, he imderstands 
that one reli<j;ion may he exchaujied for another if it seems 
more valuahle. Hut to the native, enlightenment witlumt 
religion is absurd.* Heli<i;ion is in no way affected hy any 
instruction in mathematics, ])hysics, astronomy, and history ; 
fear is not removed ; the power of falsehood is not hroken. 
Education with all kinds of intelli<,'ence is one «)f the nmny 
fruits of the (ilosi)el promised to this life, hut they are fruits, 
not roots. The CJospel, with its «,'i('t «»f reconciliation with 
God, is the only foundation capable of hcarinf,' walls ; on that 
foundation culture and education can he built, but not con- 
versely. Heathenism can oidy be affected in and by its root. 
There is another thinj^ the missionary will {iVMWy do, thou«,'h 

' Utschimura wis not intoipstivl in rational jiroofs. His opinion is that tlif 
Japanese will not bo oonvcrted to Clnisti.inity tliioiif^li the nnilcistamlin^;. 

- The feelings of heathen ami Mohaninieiian are alike on this point. The 
irreligious Europeans are an eiiif;ina to tiie .lavanese. They simply cannoL 
understand that thfre are men without religion, and think that the soealleii 
irreligious are seeretly cherishing a religion which for some reason they 
cuuceul. 



s: 



li 



ii 



20H TIIK LIVIX(J FORCKS OF THK (JOSPKL 

fully c<)iiviiice<l of the uni(|iic truth iiiitl power of his niet^Ha^c ; 
he A'ill carefully seareh out the clemeuts of truth that exist 
in a heathen reli};iori, and which arc frequently huried under 
a nnisH of superstition, ilc will treat the heathen as Hcekers, 
an<l take a Hynipathetie interest in their reli<i;ious life, even in 
its errors. He will believe the i.eathen when they tell him 
that in their ci-renionies they arc seeking "life." The search- 
in;^ eye will discover many features which are manifestly life- 
utterances of a soul created for (Jod. He will rejoice at 
seeing h(»w all the events and undertakings of heathen life 
demand the consecration of religion. The messenger of the 
(lospel will take a kindly interest in the wanderer's search 
for (lod, his sense of depeiulence on the supernatural, and 
rejoice to trace it through all its errors. He will tind there 
c(mnecting idesis ajid bridges fur the communication of his 
own mind to them. The oVifnoaijuoit'TTf/Joi will he to him 
more desirable hearers than the religiously iiulilfereiit. 

Protestant missionaries agree in thinking that their duty 
is to liberate the dim renimmt of (iod-c(msci(msncss cxistiiig 
in heathenism, and win thereby a position from which the 
preaching of the new faitii may begin to be understood.* A 
dim sense of righteousness is slumbering in the heatiicn's 
heart. In matters of conduct there is a striinge confusion 
about moral ideas. Hut running through their heart is a 
remembrance of purer moral standards, which h;is not 
sufficient energy to translate itself into action, but which 
has yet sufficient vitality to keep it from l)cing entirely 



' Tlii.s is emiiliasit'il in all discussions about pnailiinn to tin' lu'atlicii. 
I'f. (;. Wanii'ik, " Kvaii^', Missiouslohrc " ; III. i. . l-'.l ; ii. p. Oi'i ; i'.ohiior, 
" Wie icli lion Hi'idi'ii ],iv,li^p," 3 f. ; Ilesso, " lI('iiUn|irc(li<,'t in Indicu " ; 
/aim, " l)ie«van;,'iliscln' Hi-iilcninedigt," p. 72; Dahlc, " VfrlianiUunf^en lier 
Koiitin. Miss. Konf.," litO.'i, ]>. lO.'i. The earni'stness and lovinj,' sympatliy 
with which lu-athrn iflif,'ionsaii' stniiicil liy I'rotistant missions, and the ^'rains 
of f,'old soufjht lor, is jirovi'd liy siudi works as ; I)il>;('r, '• Die Urundzui,'e der 
Mis,sion», .I'dij.;! in Indien " (.7. .1/. Z., 18iW. iip. r.O'. ID ; Stosch, " VMu^ 
(liuudhejiritlV der Kelifjion in tiiniuliseher Spraelie " ; Kruyt, " Het Ani- 
niisnie ; uii'ui. " l)e Inlaiiiler en de Zeiidins" ; Uiutzor, " Die (.eisterglauhe 
hei den Kamha " ; Uloyer, *'Die Heiden]predif;t " : Sliieth, "Die Kwp- 
Stamme,"eto. Nu one has more diligently studieil the scii'iice of religion 
or done more to further it than missionaries of all denoniinalioMs. 



wM^PFn 



THK VKTOHKUS FOH( |<;s oF TIIK IIUSPKL 20H 



quenched in tlio Hwaiiit) of iiiiniomlitT. (io*l, tiic ('nator, is 
not everywhere an nrtieie in the hcatiioii rreed, l>ut the idea 
is lyin); at the l>t)ttoni of their liearts, and forins a ImisIh on 
which further knowknlfje may In; Imilt. Many veiled 
rcniiniMeenccH of truth are f<mnd : sacrifice, tlie certainty 
of connection between this worhl and the next, tlie 
memory of days that were better than tlie present. A 
unique i-clijj;iou8 practice which contains eU-nu iits of truth 
is found anion^ the Hattaks. We mention it as an example. 
When any one has been lon|j; pursueil by misfcirtunc the 
magic priest declares tliat he is under a curse for some crime 
in his family not yet atoned for, some secret trans<jrpssi(»n of 
the custom. The father of the family In-takes himself, ah)ni^ 
with the magician, to a hill where sacrifice is t)rt'ered ; then 
he lays his hand on a swallow and on a beetle ; his guilt and 
its curse are thereby transferred to t hem. The creatures are 
then allowed to Hy oft" with the curse. This atoning act is 
called "making the curse fly away." Tiiat l>etrays a dim 
sense of personal guilt, with, of course, an animistic tw'x*. 
Exact study will show similar features in every heathen 
religion.' The Kols have a legend, Jmost Christian, ai)out 
a Son of (jlod, who, in order to redeem miserable mef), 
became man and a leper. The legend <»f a lloixl as a 
punishment on a wicked humanity is met with among many 
heathen peoples.'- The missionary will carefully gather such 
sayings, and make a skilful use of them in his sermons. 
"Nowhere is Christianity when in coiitact with heathen 
peoples eonfronteil with a tabu hi rasti ; there arc elements 

' The Niaasers believe that Ikiiwa daiiH, wh.. i;iirii's tliis earth on liis 
shoiihlcrs, piofluces carthii.iakrs by vinlciitly ^liakiiii; Iiim-iflt' wlnii the 
wrong of men, i.r. Niasscrs, lian become too ),'rcat. Miii arc tlicii fnnlitciieil, 
anil remember that thwy have often jiervertiMl juslico. The chiefs arc assenilileil 
nntl the law is iiroclaincxl anew in prcseu-u of llu' wlmlc ]ie()|ilp, tlie Just 

measure is uniformly fixe.!, and all cheatinj,' comleni 1. If the earthquake 

lias iiroilucoii a fissure anywhere the •'olcnin judicial as'«cnibly meets there, 

and swine, hens, ami m y arc thrown into the chasm as an atoi, -mcnt for 

the wrotifjs committed. What a magnificent occ asion fur tlu' iutroduciii.n nf 
Christian ideas. The terror lasts only as long as the earth trembles to its 
• ouudations. 

- t/. t>. lOi, uutc 1. 
O 



210 TIIK LIVIXi; FOUdOS OF TIIF (JO.SPKL 



«1 



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t i 

, >' • '■• 

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not niorely repellent, Init also attractive : there are ideas not 
only of a totally enstoniary onler, hut also of a kindred 
nature, with whieli it can enter into connection." 

Kanso Utschiniura expresses himself on this point as 
'follows : " To IJaulj andj»eople of Jdjii4rcd spirit, heathcjiisHI 
is not sonietl iinj; to b e ia iighcd at^ or cvciito be pitietl^but 
sonietlnntf to he understo od, something intojwhich one must, 
think oneself, and treat~witli eonsl^ration and ChristiaiL 
kindness. ^ Utscliimura asks us to appreciate the favourable 
side of .lapanese heathenism, and «leclares that it is " the 
virtuous people (in heathendom) who have most desire for 
Christianity." " If we heathen were only a little better than 
the hif^her ai)es Christendom mi<;ht j^ivc up its mission 
work as hopeless. Hut we can be led to the Cross of Christ 
just because w have some knowledge of rij^ht and wrong 
of truth and falsehood."' 

liut these scattered elements of truth are only jxtints of 
connection for evangelic preaching. ' They arc like hooks on 
which we may hang up a picture. But the picture must come 
from another source. Their value is in their connection with 
the poMlive message of salvation. The feeble rays of light 
have been unable to prevent heathenism from losing (jod or 
from moral ruin. 

Whatever has anything divine in it is true. The truth 
convinces the heathen because its contents are the living (Jod. 
That is the secret of the (Gospel's power. This living (Jod is 
brought to the heathen world by the evangelic message. 
Heathendom is far from Cod." It has a dim sense of tlie 
Supreme Deity, but (iod is dindy felt, not possessed. 
Animistic heathenism has not (jod ; it has a relation to 

' In that ri'Ooi;uitioii (of the e\istiiit n'li;;ii>ii.sii( s,s) wo must liewarc of 
coiifoiiiMliiif; two vpiy (litliTeiit tliin;,'s '.niiits uf ciniin'ctioli for tlic intliRiicc 
aii<l f'ouii'l.ilioii for tlie buiMiiif,'. iwrr we linil relifjion ami ii'li(,'iipiis- 

iiess we sliall lin<l I'oiiiit'etinn tor CliiiMiaiiity ; llicy lie in the heart of man 
ami in the tradition. On the other hand, the sn-ealle<l highest relij,'ions 
of culture fuiiii.sh ii<i availalde liasis for a fruitful evaui,'elisinf,'. ThiTe is no 
liasis here for (.'liristian faith, no ci|UivaleMre, hut only thoroUf,'h o|i|jositiou. 

-See pp. 96-1 OS. 



THE VKTOlUorS FOIU'KS OF THK COSPKI. 211 

' (lemons, but has lost the true (iotl. The (;os|iel promises 
to meet this want of heathenism. Its messai,'o is ; There 
is one (iotl, the C'reator ofiieuven and eartli and men : He is 
ahni<,'hty, the onk Lon'. and He only is to lie feared and 
worshipped. That is tlie first positive information the 
Aniniist has ever had of Cod; Cml beeomes t(» him a livini; 
person and not a nebuiims shadow. Tiiat knowled«;e has a 
mifihty emaneipatinji eft'eet on the i)olytiieist. who has 
hitiierto believed that he is surrounded by a host of 
nudieions spirits and h)wer deities. How blessed the tliouirht 
of having to do with one (Jod only! That the messaj^e of 
the true (Jod has sueh a redeeminj: eft'eet on the heathen 
heart is possible only beeause it meets an iidierent need of 
the human soul. The idyhvr of .\u<,'ustine, "Tufeeisti luis 
ad to ((/. 1 Cor. viii. <5 : ij^xe/'? t<V uvtov) applies tt» the 
heathen as well. The heathen will suffer under the pressure 
of a mistaken destiny until he is united witii the unknown 
(Jod whom he has missed, and whom he has sought in wront; 
direetions. For man was ereated to find his destiny in 
communion with (Jod. The wanderinj^s of thousands of 
years have not been able to kill this predisposition. The 
dim sense of a destiny unattaine<l abides with him on his 
erring way, impelling him to seek (mt the Deity. It follows 
that the announeement of the true (Jod is one of the truths 
laid hold of in the heathen world as soon as declared. The 
idea of (Jod, whieli lies dormant in heathenism awaiting 
resurrection, has had sutHcient vitality to open the heart to 
the preaching of the truth ami to make the polytheistic 
heathen understand and accept the message of the one 
living and true (Jod. 

Fstchimura touchingly describes the liberating effect whidi 
the knowledge of the one (Jod had upon his mind and heart. 
"I was now taught tiiat there was only one (Jod and not 
many— over eight millions, as I had formerly believed. 
Christian monotheism laid its axe at the root of my super- 
stition. , . , My conscience and my reason said .\men to it. 
One (Jod, not many — that was a glad message to my soul. I 
was no longer under the necessity of making a long prayer 



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212 THE LIVIN(J FORCES OF THE (.OSPEL 

every nioniin;? to tlic four <?roups of fjoda in the four i)aru; of 
heaven and to the god of every temple that I passed. I no 
longer needed to consecrate one day to this and one day to 
that god with vows and with abstinence from detinit. things. 
I now niarclied proudly past the temples with liead erect and 
conscience unburdened. No god of that temple ct)uld punish 
me for prayers that had been omitted, for I knew that I was 
protected by the (Jod of gods. My friends soon noted njy 
changed mood. Formerly, as soon as I came in sight of the 
temple 1 was dumb, for I had to say my prayer in my heart. 
Now, I chattered and laughed joyously ail the way to college. 
I did not regret that 1 liad entered into the covenant, for 
belief in one (Jod made me a new man. ... I fancied that 1 
understood the whole of Christianity, so inspired was 1 by 
this belief in one Cod."' He describes fai'h in one Cod as 
the first step in his conversion, which, elc. entary as it was, 
had an extraordinary liberating effect upon him. This 
testimony of an intelligent heathen Christian, one of the few 
who are capable of observing and describing how they were 
brought to Christianity, is typical of the way in which many 
heathen come to (Jod. 

To the heathen this one God is alive, [)roviiig His Deity by 
great and mighty action. The heathen deity is powerless 
and far away ; he becomes small by the laws of jjcrspeetive, 
and is eclipsed by the threatening demons close at hand. 
The (iospel message brings (jod near, and therefore makes 
Him great. His power and majesty are evidenced by the 
creation of the world, readily believed by the heathen to be 
an act of (Jod. Every heathen assents to this..^ Novel as 
the idea is, he likewise understands that (Jod u{)holds and 
governs the world He created: that He has a living relation 
to it and to the men who are upon it. Since the speech 
on the Areopagus the message of (Jod, the Creator and 
(Jovernor of the world, has been to the heathen a (Jospel 
removing the veil from the unknown (Jod. 



' K. Utscliiiiiuiii. |i)i. 17 1. 

- There are two manilVsVatiiins ol'Cunl which are iiniiiediately luulerstooj- 
His creation ami govcrniiieiit of the wnrlii. 



TIIK VKTORlors FOUCIS <>F TIIK (lOSrKI- Jl.l 



TIk' jjjods worshipped l»y tlio licatlu'ii arc pdworlcss. Tlio 
(IcinoiKS liiive power, but tlioir powers urc alto;j;ether iiurtful 



to men and have 



to I 



)e op|)osc( 



1 hv 



iiia<iie. 



11 



lere is no 



aIniiRlitiness ascrihcil to the .preine (k'ity ; lie eannot help 
man in histuntlict with demons; he eannot raise him from 
the <lead ; aj^ainst fate the deity is powerless. Ileiiee the 
messatje of an Almi<i;hty (!od who can do all thiiiL^s is some- 
thinjj; entirely new to the animistie heathen. Hut it is just 
that power of (Jod whieh impresses them. Condescendinij 
to tlieir ifjiioranee, the livin<; (Jod often makes the heathen 
feel His power. Siek people eome to experience the im- 
potence of their amnlets, the uselessness of their sacritices, 
and tliCM the mi<j;hty help of (Jod. When a Niasser wonnin, 
sericmsly ill, who trusted in (io<l, was healed as by a miracle, 
the heathen deelarc<l : " She really has a "jreat and stronfj; 
(Jod."^ In an epidemic of cholera in Hali<:je (Sumatra) a 
heathen priest made use of his ordinary sorceries. Hut on 
the third evenin*,' he cried: ''Take away all 1 have set 
up here in the villatje; make no further attemi)ts to drive 
away the spirit of disease. This time it will not do: (!od is 
more juiwerful." Then he died and all his family. 

A Battuk teacher says that one of the reasons which 
often liave a decisive inlluence in brinjjin;i; the heathen to 
Christianity is their experience of the impotence of heathen 
sanctuaries and i<iols. Ue tells of a heathen, in whose 
family one case of death was followed by another, and the 
science of the ])riest was always powerless. The mend)ers 
of the family thereupon resolved to become Christians. 
Another case was that of Christian ehlers who failed to 
pay due reveren(;e to a sacred tree, the residence of the 
spirit of an ancestor ; they even insulted it before the eyes 
of the terrilied heathen, who predicted that they would be 
smitten with illness. A whole month i)as8ed without any 
harm etmiing to them ; then the lu atlien declared that they 
were contpicred, and came to church. In lluta Djulu 
(Sumatra) a Christian elder cut down one of those h(»ly 
trees, whereupon the heathen exclaimed: " The Christian 

' Any uiinilifrol' fiutluT (.■xauii'lus may l;r Imiuil in luissioii lilci:itiiie. 



M 



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214 THK LI V IXC FORCES OF TIIK (JOSPFL 



(i!(wl is stronjjer. tlie (.'liristian (iod lius foiumcrod." ' A 
Niasser family tiiat luul been recently baptised was poisoned, 
anil (Jod blessed tlie remedy used in such a visible way as 
to prove to tlie lieatlien His power. A heathen in Nias was 
compelled by juiverty t(» omit the sacrifice which had to be 
offered ior his child's welfare immediately after its birth, 
lint the child, a<i;ain8t all expectations, throve sjilendidly. 
The father came to the condu; ion : "This child j»roves to me 
that idolatry is needless. I have done nothing for my child 
and yet it lives." A Nias chief testifie*! : " It is six years since 
I ceased to worship idols, and yet (Jod has richly blessed me 
all those years. This has made it perfectly i)lain that we have 
no need of idols, and that it would be better if all were 
Christians. " In a heathen rej^ion of Nias a certain Ania 
Dahombowo, in the absence of the missionary, had cast 
away his idols, and justified his conduct to the heathen thus: 
" It is not the missionary who cleanses our houses of idols. 
We ourselves do it as soon as we know the living (Jod, for 
we are then convinced that wc «lo not need them." lie told 
thcni that his wife had been seriously ill, and neither priests 
nor sacrifices had brought her any help. But the medicine 
given by the missionary healed her. The same thing 
happened later in the case of his brother. When another 
brother became ill he entreated the missionary to pray to 
his (Jod, and il help came, tlicu the missionaries' (Jod would 
be his (Jod. The sick uuin was restored. "Then we 
considered, thought it well t)vcr, and came to the conclusion 
that (Jod is stronger than our idols, and that He hears our 
prayers. Then I nmde a first attempt and removed the 
idols from my house without incurring any harm. . , . Thus 
quite alone, and of our free will, we have thrown away 
our idols, and I for out will not return to them. " Young 
Christians and heathen experience the power of the living 
(Jod, and the experience convinces them. 

God, who will not be mocked, makes them sometimes 

' \'iiMiif; Cliiistiaiis iil'teii cliHllfiigo the V('iii,'eaii(i- iif tlie siiiiits to inuve to 
tlic hfatlii'ii tlii'ir iiii]K)ti'nci', or cuter on proofs of ]Hnvi'r wliicli the luatheii 
Iirui)Osu to lliem ill iirdci' to ostiiblisli wli<,sc goii is the .struiiger. 



THK VICTOHlors FOIUKS OF TIIK (lOSPKL Ji: 



L'xporioiR'o llis pouiT to |>iniisli, iiiCusin^ therein ,1 wliole- 



I 



XOIIU' 



fear into liotli lieatlieii and (hristia 



n, and eon 



vinein;^ tlieni of lliniselt'. Tliat often took jilaee anions' 
tlie Dayaks in IJorneo. We have liatl freijuent exi»erienee 
of it also in Sumatra. In Nias, (lod often visited 
with puiiisiii i it tiie nmleeided and tlxisc wiio were open 
enemies. For example, a nialevttlent sorcerer in Lahaj^ii 
died suddenly together with his family, a judi,'nient of 
(lod visible to :dl. 

We ean easily understand that when the heathen hear of 
the Alniii^hty (iod, they timidly test llis power before 
<lelinitely tleeidiuj^ for 11 im. (iod indul^'es them therein, 
for the prohibition not to tempt <iod was not <iiven to 
those who did not know llim. If (iod could say to llis 
people who had known llim out of a lon<; experience, 
■' lAamine Me in this (Mai. iii. 1(»), how nnich more will 
lie induli^e the; heathen who would fain know how they 
stand witii llim, and <,'ivc them proofs of llis uui(pie 
power when they ask with a sincere desire for certainty i 
The Old Testament saints often tested (iod, ar.d lie 
answered thein, althouijli they miirht have known llim 
without it. The real j;reatness of (iod is shown in llis 
condescendin;^ to men. .\ Dayak heathen woman had 
heard the missionary say that Christians asked (ioil to 
protect them, and were then sure of i)eini,' |)rotected. She 
thoujjht: I will put that to the proof; if that prove true, 
all else mvist l)e true. She set herself to pray and found 
herself delivered from her trouitic of terrifyiuir dre.-ims in 
which she had to do with siicctres. A ciiiefs son 
anionic the ('oii<^o iu'u;i h's • onviuced, in his sii-k- 

ness, of the powerlessness o < 'etich whiit ' = Ip was 
!j;iveii him by the missionary. I'o jrit tin- matter to 
the ])roof he ])ut his idols out of the house foi- one 
nij^ht, deprivinu; himself of their jiroteclion. When no 
harm resulted he took conrai,'e and rid himself of them 
altotjother. 

'• We eannnot <j;et rid of the impression that, as in the 
earlv davs of the Christian Church, so now the Lord is 



1 



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210 THK IJVIX(; FOHCKS OF TIIK (JOSPEL 



1' ?. 






preparinj^ tlic way In- si<;iis ami wtmdors for the adiiiiHsiuii 
of His (iosiit'l into now regions, con(iesL*en<lin(r to tlie child- 
like level of childlike people." 

It is in keeping with the wisdom of the divine education 
that the extra(»nlinary manifestations of (Jod's power fall 
into tlie Itackiiroiind in jiroportion as the heathen Christians 
and the heathen come to know liim throii<{h U'k word and 
1 1 is people. Thev have now Moses and the prophet.s, and 
do not iiee<l to see one risinfj; from the dead. Those who 
jijrow in the knowledije of (Jod have an inward experience of 
Ilini which verities the words of Jesus, "Thou wilt see 
j^rcater thinirs than these." 

The hearers ()f tlie niessajje of salvation become conscioHs 
of the livinu; (iod first of all throufjjh their experience of Ills 
j»ower, and then, if they ijto on to learn of Him more fully, 
through His self iiianifestati(m in .lesus Christ, in whom He 
enters the human race. The love of (Jod is not, us a rule, 
till st tliinij which the animistic heathen fjrasp in Christ, 
hut the .sell-attestation of (iod, who becomes vi.sible and 
tan«jiiile in His Son. Without in any way reflecting on the 
relations of the Son to the Father, they rejoice in a God 
who became man tiiat !Ic might come near to men. They 
come to know (iod in .lesus. Before Jesus is the way, He 
has become to them the manifestation of (!od. His projection 
of Himself into human life; in Him the unknown (Jod comes 
forth from His concealment, and personal trust in Him 
becomes possible. Hence the first overpowering impression 
t)f Jesus which heathen ami heathen Christians get is of His 
Divinity. The education of the disciples ended with the 
confession : " .My Lord ami my (Jod." The growth of the 
heathen for the most part begins with this impression. It 
is, therefore, advisable to say little at lir-t of Christ as the 
Son ; it is better to speak of Him simply as (Jod : (Jod 
became Man, (!od suffered and died, etc. .My own experi- 
ence on this point has been confirmeil by various missionaries. 
Jesus the self-revelation of (iod — that is how He appears to 
the eye of the susceptible heathen and becomes to him the 
wav into Christianitv. If the heathen allows this Divine 



i^^iMI 



THE VKTOHlors F<H{('i:s up TIIK (ioSPKL 217 



Person to jjaiii powor over liiiii llo will iiioro ami more 
determine the eonrse of liis inner life. 

The heathen, when his will is enlistei! in the inward 
cxperienee, forthwith enters into a jtersonal relation with 
the livinfj, workin<; (!o<l l)roii;j;iit ni'^li to him in .lesns. 
The exjierimeiital proof of tlie (lospel's trntli is fonnd in 
the reality and frnitfulness of this relation wherein, of 
eourse, he is nniinlv reeejitive. In all mission fiehis, and 
especially anions nneivilised peoples, we see that sus- 
ceptible hearers of the message appropriate (iod with 
directness and simplicity, converse with Ilim in a matter 
of-conrse way, experience liim in ciiihllike interconrse, 
speak to Him, pray to ilim, ami receive an answer. The 
heathen deities are inaccessible ; Jio one dreams of inter- 
course with them. What a mij^hty proof of (Jod's mes.saj;;e 
that it sets up an entirely new hut real relation between 
God and nuui ! This new personal relation to (Jod finds 
expression in childlike, trustful faith and simple, confideut 
prayer. 

The faith of younji; heathen Christians has, as a rule, 
a power and freshness that puts ns older Christians to 
shame. (Jod has become to them a liviim (<od to whom 
they commit everythin<jj ; they know of no limit to His 
power: they rejoice in their filial standing;, and point it 
out to the heathen as an advaiitaj;e which Christians enjoy. 
The newly converted do not doubt that (Jod <loeth wonders. 
Wonderful deliverances j^reat manifestations of j;raee, are 
to them not miracles but self-evident expressions of the 
inijjht of His (Jodhead, not TtpnTn but oyii</Uf<v (to the 
heathen they are mi/uLfin). They have no diHiculty in 
believin<^ the liible miracles. Their confidence in the 
power of tiie mighty (Jod is boundless. Remember that 
every presupposition for such tliouj^hts about (Jod, every 
predisposition for a trustful demeanour towards Him, is 
entirely absent in animistic relitjions. Here, at any rate, 
there can be no talk about a development of existinjj; <^erms. 
The livinfi; (Jod is new to them; communion with Him is 
new ; the faith that appri priates and trusts Him is new. 



3 : 






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^aSHJvsaMW^TE^^ti 






2i« Tin: Livix<: fokcks of tiik (;<>spi:l 

TIiIh laitli is often toiicliinjily sliowii at tlio doatlil oils of 
licutlioii CiiiiNtiaiis ; lalinly tlioy juit tlieiiiselves iiitu tliu 
liaiids of tlii'ir Saviour and (jiiiotiy pass tlinui'^li the <iates 
of (leatli, never doubting tiiat tliey are nnited with (lod. 
This is not iiypoerisy : how siiould they on liieir deathbed 
put on an unaecnstoined mask while all otiier heathen 
meet death stupidly and inditferently ? It is the certainty 
of K"'"o to their (Jod wh: makes tlicni die calmly, 
often joyfully. Their faith has somethin*; of the childlike 
character which our Lord holds up as an example ; it 
rellects not, specidates not, sees no difliculties, but cheer- 
fully and joyously takes and thankfully enjoys what \ 
offered. 

Christians in Sumatra and Nias have ventured to bid 
the evil spirit, in the name of Jesus, <i;o out of the possesbcd ; 
they felt, as a matter of course, that the clemon had left 
the poor man ; and when he had u;one they made no fuss 
about the matter ; we only heard of it occasionally. They 
are perfectly sure that the stron^; .Jesus will settle witli I lis 
enemies.* liravery is not amoii<^ the virtues of the Battaks, 
but faith in their mighty (Jod has often given the evan- 
j^elists and elders in their missionary journeys an astt>nishing 
courage in great dangers. One of the greatest sorrows to 
an lnd(»nesian is when his child dies, above all if he be 
an only son. Faith in (iod has given to many Christians 
comfort and support in such a sorrow ; their childlike 
rehition to (lod made them strong. So we find heathen 

' A Mattak tcaclicr was suniiiionL(l to a siik Cluistiaii woiimii ii|iiiii whom 
ait ' vil spirit was sii[i]i()sc(l to liave ('■mu'. She ilcsiinl a sai-iilici-. whifli 
till toacluT lorbadc. Tlie woman th' upon fill into a \:\;^v. ami the spirit 
threatened to kill liotli her and the {■ her. The teacher answered : " You 
cannot; you have no power over me, ir I and all 'ere jiresent helonj; to 
Christ." The teacher and his scholars then sanj; a (."hristiaii hymn. While 
they were sinf,'inf;, the woman cried: " My brother, will you not >;ive me 
what I ask tliat I may dcjiart ! I cannot endure this, I am atraid." Tho 
teacher replieii : "Yes. depart." The woman then sprau},' up, rushed round 
the house, anil cried : " I am j,'oiii>;, t'^ir I am aliaid." Tin.' teacher ivlated 
the .stery in Matthew viii. 2S-:'>1, declarinf; that the Loul .lesus has still 
power over evil spirits, and prayed with those ]ircsent. The woman was 
healed, with the result that a great number were led to coUic tn the church. 



2KEF 



.-M ^iS! 4-a^i. 



■•i',-i':mmistaK^^sd. r Tsi^^'TW^Binii'^ 



Till'] VKTOIMOIS F(U{('i:s <)K TIIK (JOSIM)!- Jin 

f()iiiiiiittin<r :ill to lliiii cvoii wlieii tlirr know littlt- alnMit 
Iliin.' 

Certainty of victory is one of tlie oxprossions of tlicir 
firm eliiltlliki' faitli. No carni'st licatlicn Cliiistian anionic 
till! Hattaks and Niassors doiihts tliat tlic (i!os|ii'l will 
(•(HKiuor all liis |)i'(>|ih'. In Sifaoroasi (Niasj tlit* first 
twenty-four candidates for baptism had very inueli to suffer 
from tiie hostility of heathenism. Itut they were certain of 
victory; they called themselves the "seed of the kinj,'dom 
of (iod for Sifaoroasi, nieanin<; that all their fellow-country- 
men, who then had no desire to know anythini^ of the new 
custom, would assuredly liy-aud-hy heet»me Christians like 
themselves. Tiiis belief in the worhl-conciucrin;; jiower of 
the (iospel makes all truly convertetl heathen to become 
caj^er mission workers as will be showi later. Suft'erin>^ and 
persecution cannot disturb them iu this belief. The thiiii^s 
they have experienced have jj;ivcn them a fxlimpse of the 
power of (Iod and tauj^ht them to estimate differently the 
sufferinys of this present time. 

A surprisinu; joyousuess in prayer jj;oes hand in hand witli 
this lively faith. The heathen who has entered into a 
personal relation with ( !od nuist needs tell Iliin everythinjj 
that moves him. In their heathenism they were ii,'norant of 
wnat prayer means ; they had no conce])tion of a prayer to 
(Jod sjirin^ini^ <mt of the pressure of need or of the grateful 
gladness of the heart. Uut, become Christians, they pray 
almost without any teachini,': they sjteak to <iod in the 
simplest manner: they lay before Mini their cares Ljreat and 
little. They have an instinctive sense of the need to pray in 
every uiiusiial situation of life or iiiovemeut of the heart. 
Their prayers are talks with Cod. often of the most touchini^ 
childlikeness. Whence comes this impulse to |)rayer and tiiis 
art of prayer if it is not promi)ted ami sustained by a new 



' Missiciiuirv U.i^^l'iM (^'ia^) tells of a linillu'ii ill Hawaii. i who ailln'iiil to 
Coil's wonl. Ill' was hitteii liy a iioisonous sor|ii'!it. At oiicf he i>r:iyeil ; 
"Coil ill ln'avfii, Tlioii ait t-toinal ami aliiiif,'lity ; lo. a sfiiiciit lias liiltcii 
iiip, but if Tliou .\ilt Tliou canst niaki; the hite harinh-ss, iiinl theirfoic I 
pray Thee helj) me." The i>aili souli ceased. 



I 

i ti 

r. 



.■.i;\w.A' i:(if' ■ jf •=%. ,i;*ri-"* r- 



• * -v. , 



K^ 



220 TIIK LIVrXC l-nnCKS OK TUi: (iOSPKI. 



.ml* 



7>[ 



V 






:f 



and real rclaiioii to (mhI, tlie imtiirul niitiiifoHtatioii of which 
is prayer f 

Thfsf two fi-atiiios of hcatlu'ii ('iiiistiaii life, simple faith 
an*l inward prayer, are contirined In the experieiiee of nearly 
ull mission lields. Tlie eliildlike faith an<l lielieviny; prayers 
of the Hattak Christi ins often put ns to shame, espeeialiy of 
those who have conseiously passed over from heathenism to 
Christianity.' In the seeond i^eneration the relation to <iod 
heeonies less inmietliate. It is said of the Xiassers ; "The 
youii;i; Christians of Nias put a !,'reat value on prayer. We 
are constantly hv\\\<i asketl to pray with and for their sick, 
and they often tell of almost instantaneous answers to their 
childlike prayers. ' -' " Morcitver, it is very <iratifyin<j; to find 
that younj^ Christians so (piickly <^et accustomed to pray to 
the living; Cod. They turn to II im in childlike fiiith in 
every situation. re|»resentinic to Mini that they have now no 
other <i'od, and therefore lie must hel|), and are then cer- 
tain that their prayer has heen heard. In our visitation of 
their sick we arc often asked to pray with and for the 
snfl'erei's. 

' In Hutu Ujulii, a iiiiniiitaiiioiis icj^ion of Suimitia, C'lii i.stiaiis ^ivc 
immi'ioii" ixamplcs of how <;o(l iiiisweii'il tla-ir [Uiiyiis itml liow many 
liiatlicn wi'iu thiii'liy l)roiii;lit ovir tip tlie Cliunli. A liCiitiicii uhost- son 
was sick unto di'atli pioiniscil to li^cntiu' a ClniMti.in if Oo'l would answir 
thoir prayers on liis In lialf. . Inrcnpon a Christian chief irayccl : " Lonl. 
Tliou lia.st hoaril our covenant ; lio not ]'Ut us to slii;i;r '.,... c mercy on us, and 
heal this sick one that my comiades may see tiiat Thou art (lod and hcarest 
prayer, that they also may know Thee and love Tine and cease betakin;,' 
themselves to dead idols." The hoy was restored and the family passed over 
to Chiistiauity, 

' .Sunderiiiann, " Xias," 111. He tells of a prayer which a heathen 
(ilhred shoitly hefoie his haptism. This man Siwahumola had hcen one of 
the most notorious rolihcrs and head hunters, anil had many a murder on his 
eonscience. He |iray(d as lollows : " O thou great (!od, who art gracious 
to us, who art our I'athcr, we come to Thee in prayer. We thank Tliec fur 
Thy goodness to us, for the help Thou hast given us evil and wicked 
Kiassers, who are as nothing before Thee, and who have benighted hearts. 
We thank Thee tliat Thou h.ist .si nt us the ndssionaiy to instruct ns in the 
good doctrine. AVe can now be baptiseil and become real Christians. Help 
us, forgive ns all our sins, and t Mch ns to kc>ep Thy cominaudmi'nts. When 
the devil comes to tcmjit us, help us to overcome him, and take us all as 
members oi' Thy hous.hci.l int.. Thy iHautiftii iir,i\eu " (p, iTl'}. 



USS^STTTT 



■rXT ' 



-a' ■■ i-:-^> 



TIIK VKTORIors FOHCKS OF TIIK (;oSI»KI. 2-21 

The rciM)rtrt of tlic Nius Mission havi- iniifli t(» say of the 
life of fervent jtiaytT. A liiatlu-ii tliiif was .seriously ill and 
hud lost all Hpeecli and lirurin<;. Sola^;!), a youni; Christian, 
visitH him, "that the people of Ojo may sit that onr (!od is 
almifjhty." He prays with the sick man : "<ireat Alniit;hty 
(!od, Thou knowest why we are hen-; make this man well 
and show Thy power and mi<;hi to the people that they also 
may follow Thee. " Immediately tlie siek man eonid hear 
and speak. Medicine was then j^iven him hy th(> missionary 
Krumm, and he became tpiite well, anil, witii sixty of his 
people, threw away their idols. Ama <;alu>noa, the tirst- 
fruits of th' West Coast, was /.ealo\is in prayer from the 
first moment of his conversion. His prayer was a talk with 
the heavenly Father. I lis prayers for the sick were often 
followed by suri>risin<j; resnits. The followin;,' story indicates 
his rclatiim to Cod : Calletl in to a »ase of serious illness, he 
prayed for the restoration of the patient, luit his jjrayer was 
in vain. He prayed aj^ain, hut with no success. This 
occasioned him serious tliout;lits. Durint; the nii^ht he was 
troubled by the fact that his prayer «ni this occasion was 
not heard ; then he dreamed that the ]iarents of the child 
kept in concealment ancestor i(hils, antl that his prayer was 
thereby hindered. The day had scarcely dawned when he 
ran to the parents and demanded of them, " Where are the 
idols you Ir-ve hidden ^ out with them I They make my 
prayer of no effect. ' Terrifieil, the i)eople produced the 
idols ; after they were renu)ved he prayed ai^ain and in u 
short time the child was Wv ' At a later period, when the 
growin<^ Christian community had bcconu' a livini; proof of 
the divine truth, the strikin<^ si^ns fell more into the back- 
ground, a fact whici; Ama (i ahoiitii', f !;d to l>e (piite usind. 

Jellin.<;haus testifies of the KoU : • In their heathen state 
they were bound fast in the fear of demons ; now they 
betook themselves to prayer in the name of .lesus, the 
conqueror of sin and the devil, as a weapon against all 
assaults of the demons.' The Christian Kols arc absolutely 
certain that the Lord .lesus lieai-s prayer, and that all evil 
spirits must give way to prayer in Hi.s name, and stories 



Jar 



'Tsrnssm 



t , 



Q90 



TIIK UVfXC; FORCES OF TFIF (losl'Kh 



.Mi* 



% 



liiii 



may Iw liciirl in ulniost cvory Ci isfiaii villjn,'c of liow 
prayer lias broiij^lit liolp in Hickiicss, in scr|Hiit.s' l.iti's, 
etc., wlien all nicdii-ine and all sdivciy was in vjiin. "Tlicir 
ri'li«i(»HH life is (listinyni.shod alxivi- all l.y a j,'lail i-liiMliki- 
trnst, tlifir tlionf,'lit and ftrlin;,' tnrns towarii^ 'hxI with 
a simplicity wliit-li provt-s tluit tlio diildlik.- Iioart is 
noarost tn the (Jospol." Nottrott also spcnks hiijlily of the 
power of prayer anionc; the Christian Kols; heathen often 
come to Christians and ask for their prayers. Hieilel. the 
bleHsed Apostle of Minahassa, says that he is often 
astoi.ished at the power of prayer displayed hy the Christian 
Alfurus. "I believe that many a Kuropean' youth would 
be ashamed if he were to see and hear the ^il't of prayer 
displayed by these youths recently converted from heathen- 
ism," A Kuropean who visite<l Tcrnate was deeply 
impressed by the prayers of the youn<,' Christians. Hellon, 
the missionary at Abetiti <m the (Jold Coast, says: "Any 
one takinj,' part in our prayer-meetinys would have his 
heart uplifted by hearing the c,i idlike way in which the 
Christians pray. There is nothing; .irtiliciaror sentimental 
al)out them. They really believe in the power of prayer." 
The Japanese, I'tschimura, and his fellow-students had no 
sooner turned to Cod than they beijan to i)ray. 

In every missionary record we have testimonies to- the 
fervent prayers of the younj; heathei. Christians. It is to 
them a mitural, almost an involuntary manifestation of 
their m-w relaticm to (Jod. They have passed from death 
to life, from estrangement to communion with Cod 
(Utrn^tfitlKei' tK tov BamTov e/? rliv im/t; John v. '24 ; 
>'lHm ouutfxei', OTI fxeriifie^/iKaiuei' eK tov OaiaTnv e/v rhv 
f(.-»/)S 1 John iii. 14). They were dead because they were 
separated from God; now they have found (Jod and live. 
The .icw life in and through (Jod is the first j,'reat funda- 
mental f,'ift of the (Jospel to the starving soul of the 
heathen. The <rift is (Jod Himself. That gift has power to 
dethrone ; .. ' try and make the heathen new religious men. 
Moral < i ce in the service of the true (Jod, the 
obligation elo.-ely connected with this great gift, falls, as 



'k. '^•■umJVir-it^ £iAaidM-'Lii.iiyA\.w, 



xuir.. JM. 



TIIK VKTOUIors FOUCKS nF TIIK <;nslM:i- jj.j 



wc (-nil iiiMlcrHtaiul, into tin' l)ack^roiiii<l. Tlic iritt is so 
(»v»'rMlu'liiiiiij,'Iy new and ;;nat, so ol>\iou»l_v a i.'ift. that 
its hfariii!,' upon coiuiiut can only trriuliially nitrr tlu'ir 
lonsciousiu'ss. <io<l nH'crs lliinscir to tin- lu-atlioii in (he 
(iospi-l as a ]i(TM)iinl trinid ; lie i-onii's to tlicin as tin; 
That melts tlic iio round the hciitlun heart. 



','iviiiy ( >ne. 



This is ol" the very esseiiee of the (iospel, that it is a i;ift. 
tiie ofii-r of liiinsrlf of a j;ood, ijraeioiis, eoiii|iassionate 



ift (l{oi 



n. VI. 



•j;j): to I 



lave 



(iod. lleiiiT life is railed 
t:t.sted of the heavenly i^ift (Ih-li. vi. I) ineai! < to ha\e found 
(JcmI: Taiil tlianks (iod for Mis tinspeakalde i^ift (J ("or. 
.-. nidiii'^ to the New 'IVsta nent the (lospei is 



IX 



l.>). 



a jiift of f^iaee. <)(.'/)«(< \<(/)/': 



Ti 



( io^pi 



.^lli\\- 



power in this way ainoiM_' the lu'atheii : it i,'ives them the 
true, <;reat, ^ood (iod; they are horn a^'ain into a new 
life. The intelleetnal and the moral eonsei|uenees of tin* 
fiift will follow, for it eontaiiis a iinniher of new motives 
and powers which cannot hnt unfold themselves. Hut the 
<;ift of (!od Himself must come first, the means of ijivinfi 
life to those estMiijied from Him. The consciousness of 
the receiver is at liist entirely occupied with the lioon he 
has received, and only <;radually awakens to the i-orre- 
spondinjj ol)li<,'ation. Heathen Christians, therefore, from 
the Krst (hiys of their conversion, exhihit a marvellous 
dcjjjree of childlike trust aiitl strong faith in (iod, while 
their moral conduct is startlin;j;ly out of keepini; with 
their <jenuine religious life. The heuthen Christian com- 
munities of the Apostolic a;j;e had a similar experience, an 
experience repeated to-day in every mission licld with 
the regidarity of a law of n.-iture. This jieriod of incipient 
Christian life is a kind of spriim-tiine when we need not 
look for fruit. Spriii;^ also ])romises more than it jierforms; 
for many of its i)lossonis fall without ever settiiiii into 
fruit. Hut vet it is the fairest time of the vear.' 



' .lclliii},'li;ni.s ciills it tlir infant weakness of tin' Kuls (.'liii-^tian^ llul. 
nulwithslan'linj,' llir- ;:i'niiiiiciif>-- >>f tlicii laitli, tiny liavr litlli' ~i'ns.- uf sin 
^'•I)ie KciU," |i. :!1S . 'riii> is jnst tlii- infiint weakness nl all yoiiii;; livallicn 
(..'iinstiaii;-. 



224 TIIK LIVIN(J FOIU'KS OK THK (iOSI'KL 



We have now to consider the (jucstion : How does this 
livinj; picture of (lod arise in the mind of tlie heathen ? 
What kind of prcacliinij must the niissionury employ to 
set God's mi<j;ht and majesty before the didled eyes of the 
heatlien ? It will not be done by intellectual instruction ; 
the missionary will <^ct no audience for learned lectures 
about God. Life is not bejjotten by enli<rhtcnmcnt ; it 
passes from person to [)erson, from (iod to man, by living 
cotitact. The sole function of i)reachinj2; is to mediate a 
j)ersf)nal accpiaintance with (iod. That is done by depicting 
the deeds of the living (Jod before the eyes of the heathen. 
Persons are made known by their acts. Mission preaching 
proclaims the deeds of (iod; it ex]thiins nothing at firet, 
expounds nothing ; it simply narrates what God has done. 
The heathen thereby gets to know God. He does not 
ask who (iod is, but what He does and cau do. How 
did the A]iostles preach to the heathen ? We know very 
little on the subject, but this much is certain, that Peter 
as well as Paul proclaimed to them t« /ueyaXem toC; Oeov 
(the mighty works of God). Paul recapitulates in 1 Cor. xv. 
the fundamental contents of his j)reachiiig to the heathen ; 
Christ died for our sins, was buried, was raised the third 
day, and ajjpeared several times to His own. Paul always 
uses the word (iospel in the sense of a proclamation of 
the deeds of God. He does not tell his hearers who 
and how God is, but what He has done for them : that 
He created them, patiently bore with them, sent His Son 
to save them, that this 8on died, rose again, and will return 
to judgment. The effect of the message on the hearts of 
the hearers he left to its own inherent power. Words of 
wisdom and enticement he expressly repudiates (1 Cor. i. 17; 
ii. 4). Reasoned explanations arc given later, but only 
to tiic Christian comnmnity wliich has already got life 
from the (!od of salvation. IJclievers have obtained life 
by a recognition of the facts which constitute ihe Gospel, 
not by comprehending them or abstracting the idetis under- 
lying them. Christian thought is subsequently built on these 
deeds of (ioJ. The deed stands above the thought. 



TIIK VKTOHIors FOKCKS oF TIIK COSPKl, J-'.. 



The missionary of to-day ran <jo no otlierwiso to work : 
lie <^oos anioiiL; tin- lioatlifn as a lu-rald anti imiclainis to 
tlicni till' tilings (iod has done, is doin^', and will do. lie 
waits on tlii' ivsiilt. At lirsf lie is conipolk'd l»y liis dctVe'tivi- 
knowleduje of the iany;nai;(' and of the mental life of t!ie 
jjeople to adopt a simple method of story tellimr.' lie is 
forced to eontine himself to telliii;^ Hiliie stories from the ' 'hi 
and New Testaments, waitinij; perhaps impatiently for the 
time when he will he aide to vaiKiuish heatheiiisin by an 
exjMisitioii of the deep thon.rhts of the (hristian religion. 
The Iaii<fnai;e of a i>rimitive people jtresents fewest 
ditlieulties to the narrative form of address : a very simple 
man can understand a story. And, io. the teller of l^ihle 
stories discovers that a new relijjioiis world is dawnintj upon 
the heathen tliroiiijh the simjtle narration of what (iod has 
done for men : that these stories are hetter fitted than any 
well thon<i;ht - out address for makiiii; hlinded idolaters 
acquainted with the livintj (Jod; tlmt the simjile tellinu; of 
what (lod has done in the course of human history makes 
His imai^e j)lastie to them and Himself, no lonifer a hloodless 
idea, hut an actini;. thinkiiiiX, feeliiiij person. The stories of the 
liihle arc everywhere listened to with pleasure. The heathen 
are keenly interested in them, and *jet from them a clear 
conception of what the new reli'4i<m desires and <x\\vn. it 
is the Hihle stories that transform the reIi<^ious tliou<:jht of 
the Animist. 

We are told of the jjcople of Xias that the liihle stories 
of the Old and New Testaments always made the dceiiest 
impression, and imparted a knowIed<i;e of (Jtxl. Sometimes 
the story of Al)raham, sometimes that of .lacoh, reflects their 
own experience. Merensky says that his preachiii{» to the 

' Dr Ailiiftiii I'i'lK Is tli>' ii'|ii(iacli alimil iiiissidiiarii's caiiying to tlir n.itivos 
iliv uiiiiiti'lli^iMi' ilo^'iiias. " 111 ii.siiij; tin- language of the country arc tlicv 
not Loiiiiirllcil tii limit tliciiisilvcs to what can bo s]Kikfri in that language ' 
Docs not the fact that mission woik cnijiloys the language of the countiy 
prove that it is willing to hamiHT itself, that it has no wi^h to say anything 
that cannot In- .saiil in the language of tiie i>eo|ile, that it .Iocs not attempt 
to philosophise in its own trains " >ought, hut contines itscll' to those that 
prevail in the spceih ot the count _ 



2-2c> Tin: iJviN'i; F(H{(m:s of the (jospkl 



Basutos was essentially a proclamation of Bible history. 
"The Hood and the story of Sodom and (Joniorrah always 
made an extraordinary impression as examples of (iod's 
penal ri<j;Iiteonsness." It was the same with the stories of 
the j)atriarehs, of Joseph's fate, and finally the story of ihe 
Saviour. .Iellin<jhaus had the same experience among the 
Kols : " The simple hihiieal (Jospel . . . fits into the hearts 
of the children and adults of this primitive peo])le as a screw 
fits into the imt.''^"They t^rasped with a childlike vividness 
the stories of creation, the fall, Jesus' birth. His miracles, 
and especially His snflerinjj;s. " It is said of the ne<jrocs of 
Suriname : "There are few on whom the picture > !' the 
crucifietl ( 'hrist does not make a more than passing 
impressi(»ii, and many are deeply affected by it. " Stosch is 
of opinion that " it is not the theology of exj)erience in any 
of its modifications, but a theology of facts dominated by the 
idea of revelation that is capable of healing the truthless 
heathen world and satisfying it with truth." — "The fact that 
Christianity, proclaimed on a biblical foundation, reveals itself 
as truth and verifies itself as revelation in its preparatory 
motives as well as in the central fact of reconciliation by 
Christ, is the basis of all success in missions,'' Speaking 
about lu-eachiiig to the heathen in India, Hesse says: "We 
do not preach this or that profound and interesting doctrine 
of Christianity or any such thing as theology and philosophy ; 
India has more than enough of profounti and interesting 
doctrine;^ of theology and philosophy ; we proclaim the great 
facts of the life, surtcrings, death and resurrection of Jesus of 
Xa/.arech, the historical incarnate Saviour of sinners. What 
the Indian religions chiefly lack is facts ana personalities." 
The foreign missionary lays the foundation by telling the 
history of Jesus. Bohner in West Africa had the same 
experience in preaching to the heathen. Dahle in one of 
his reports strongly urges that the first jjresentation of the 
(lospel to heathen should always take the form of Bible 
stories, especially the story of the life an<l sutVerings of the 
Saviour. The missionaries, Ustermcyer and Spieth, who took 
part in llie discussion that followed, were of the same opinion ; 



TlIK VKTOKIors FOUCKS OF TIIK COSPKL ■2>7 

onv of tlio special fxivlluners of tlif (iospol, tlirv lU-i-lartil, is 
that it is not doitriiif l)ut liistory. Tlioir cxpcriiMRt' was 
tliut till' story of tiic |)assioii and of tlio rcsurri'ction of Chrisr 
liardly ever failed to make a deejt iniprt-ssion on the heathen. 
The liible stories reveal (Jod to the heathen as a (Jod of 
deeds. The infereiu-e they draw is that sneh a iU»\ will 
l»erforni works of power and love anionic tliein also. The 
divine revelation is made to men, however, in a sneeession of 
divine dealiiiijs, in whieh (Jod makes Himself known !)y 
|tro;, ..isive statues that men may lie i;radnally prepared for 
His ^'reatest and final aet of revelation, viz., the redemption 
hy Jesns Christ. .Veeordin'^ly we need not he sui prised that 
the animistic heathen, on a lower statue o, hnman deveh)|»- 
ment, are l)est able to <i;rasp and dif,'est the divine revelation 
in the deeds of (lod recorded in the Old Testament and 
rellected in the histories of men whom Me led. The 
missionaries in Sumatra, Nias. Horneo, New (Jniiiea, have 
experienced and still experience that the stories of the OM 
Testament exercise a i;reat power over heathen hearts. The 
narratives of the creation of the worlil and of man. of 
paradise, the fall, the flood, the confusion of lanirua:,'es, of 
the patriarchs, Moses, and the .uiviiijr of the law, of Israel's 
journey throuj^h the wilderness, the stories of Samuel, David 
and Solomon, are all listened to with keen interest, and are 
cherished. How full of life, how plastic, do these pictures of 
the old men of Cod stand out before the eyes of the heathen ! 
Abraham, Moses, David, become popular tiLjures amony; heathen 
and heathen Christians ; they are the best allies in the conflict 
with heathenism, the most convineini? teachers of the true 
(!od, enabling them to see (Jod in His intercourse with men, 
to see Him as it were at work. Thejud'jcments of (Jod in the 
expulsion from paradise, the Hood, the dispersion of the 
natiiuis, in the fate of Israel, <;ive the heathen a knowled^'e 
of (Jod as the aven^jer of evil. They bej^et faith in a rii,'hteous 
retribution, and in the curse of sin. The sclf-rii^hteoiis 
Animist could never be made lo understand w hat sin, dis- 
obedience, faith, love, humility, meekness, enerjjy, are, in anv 
doctrinal way ; in the Old Testament pictures moral and 



■nr*¥:-7VT';-'T»'*:- 



22« TIIK IJVIN(J FORCKS OF T!IK (iOSPKL 






Vt'l 

[An 

-•■♦i 
: %* 



relijjious values stainl before tlieni in a lan<j;uane iiiulcrstood 

all the world over. IViinitive luaii would turn away from 

didaetic lectures, hut he eanuot f^et away from these stories. 

They depict (Jod's Aliuiuhtiness, His ouiniprese:iee, His 

wisdoiu, ri<iliteousiiess, patience, I()nfj;-sutterin<j;, love, without 

any need of fornudatin<if concepts. Kveu tlioui,'li the Word 

is not in their lan<;uaj^e, the hearers understand the thinj,'. 

The hearer of the Old Testament stories learns how(Jod must 

be feareil ; he learns also how He should he loved and trusted. 

The inward experience of these facts must overthrow his 

animistic system, and produce a dim sense of man's freedom 

and responsihility. Thus hy means of these stories there 

rises imperceptibly a new world of moral and reli-jtious ideas. 

Bible history puts into the hands of the hearers a sure 

sTiindard which is used to correct all former relations. 

Without critiiusiiiir the horrors and moral carelessness of 

heathen life, the missionary will implant an aversion to them 

iby these st«»ries. Heathen who have been moved by a liible 

istory will often say : " We are very bad," a confession which 

loould not be wrun<^ from them by any disputation. (Jod's 

majesty and merciful coiulescension are contrasted with 

their own wretchedness in such a [)eaceful, winnins way, that 

even hardened heathen are convinced. The relitrious trans- 

fornuition of those wlio do not ch)se their hearts a<,'ainst the 

light is hc<r\m under the training influence of liistory, which 

depicts with etiual impartiality (Jod's greatness and man's 

sin. The story of salvation brings (Jod into their life ; their 

dim eye learns to see Him as His nature is i)rogressiveiy 

revealed; they timidly attempt to put His power to the 

proof; they begin to fear Him and to trust Him. (Jod's 

power as shown in the Bible stories leads to their own 

experience of the mighty ( Jod, and proves that there is more 

there than narratives from the past life of a foreign people ; life 

issues from these stories. They very soon endeavour to get 

familiar with them, and apply the new standards to their 

own life.* The Old Testament stories are therefore of 

' A Sliiiuil'iil.i. who lieanl the stuiy cjI' Abi.iliain, said : " Tliul is imt an old 
world story, but ii story of tlic present day. I am Aljraliain. . . . Like 



Tin: VK TO|{|(MS KOKCKS OF TIIK (;(>SIM:1- •_'_'<» 

tlie utmost iinporUince for the Chiistiuiiuiiu^ uf u hcuthcu 
people.' 

( H" rotirsr tlic missioiiurv will not Ik- contoiit witli prciicliiiiii 
tlio Olil I'tstimieiit story of salvation. Its ('(lucativc iinjxirt- 
ani'C will not inthiee liini to take tlie material of liis iireachin^ 
exclusively from tlie preparatory revelation, for lie feels l)ountl 
to otter tlie lieatlieu a full salvation. Tliat impels liiiii to 
lead tlieiii into tlie holiest of .lii.- The New Testament 
reports the "jreatest of all (iod's revealiiiiX aets. His inearna- 
tion. This eompletes and deepens the piiture of ilini as the 
Uiifhteous, Holy, Mereiful One, wliieli the heathen have 
already ohtained from the Old Testament history. The 
ahsohite eondeseeiision of (iod to impoverished men mani- 
fested ill His inearnation must speak more eoiivineiiiLjly than 
all to the human heart. The (|uestioii need not he deeided 

Al>r:iliiiin. I shall ;:<i to-tiioriow iniiniitit; tn my kimlrril, .iinl till tlniii that I 
will no imipT I'ulli.w tlir (lid ii'lij;i"ii willi tiii'iii, iiii'l ou Suii'liiy 1 will iniin- 
Idrwanl lor baptism '' (l)oiiii^;, '• Mipipinlammeiuii;;," (i. lOS). The hiitory of 
the fall ma.li' a lastiii;^ impiosMion on a mayiinan (/'/.•/», ]<. 12'-' . The stoiy 
ol' Noah (Iroply impicsMMl many in Ovamlaland " rieri<hlf ilcr lihiin. 
Miss.," 1S97, p. 'M2i. 

' It i.s characti-ristic of ,Ia|iani'.si' (,;hristianity that it his iicitlur inl< i.'st 
in nor iinilerslandinf,' of the prcjiaiatory revt'lation of the Ohl Tistament. 
" TliP dcvclopnii'iit is likely to set in here, ar.d a Confiii-ian I'.nddhistic hasis 
bo given to Christianity instead of the Old T.'stanient. Th.it ha.s already 
been attempted by .some Japanese Christians, some of them i.reaehers." In 
lieathen missionx we cannot with impunity nej;lect the Old Testament 
revelation. 

- The <iuostion lias been eonstantly ventilated in miision praitiee .ind 
theory, wliethcr it is arlvisahle to train the heathen tor a Ion;,' time in the 
Old Testament h-lore makin.i; them aemiainted with the levelation ol'tiod in 
.IcsHS Christ ? If tlie people of God needed such along preparation before 
the revelation in Christ emihl be oU'ered them, is it wise to jdaie the heathen 
estranf,'ed from C.od at onee in the very centre of tlie messaj;e of salvation > 
In spile of all that I'aii be said for this, no missioinry will be willing to 
withhold Christ from the heathen for any lenjjth of time. We shall deal 
with this (|nestion in the course of our <lis( \ission, and ■; ivill be shown that 
in more than one sense .lesns liuds Mis way into the hi ilheii heart. Hence 
Zahn says : "The niesseu^er of C.od is to bring a jjlad message to the heathen, 
whether he sliouM begin with this joyful tone depends on circumstaMces. 
Uui he .should never forget that lie has .something joyful and beneficnl to 
impart to the heathen. .John the liaplist uiel .bsus Himsi;If be.'a!. their 
preaching with the rail to repent. Imt that was not addressed to heathen 
but to .lens, to a people who had been trained in religion for ceMurie.s. ' 



•in 


.»^t 




■y'i 










2.'{() TFIK LIVIXC FOHCKS OF TIIK (JOSPKL 

what stories of the Old or New Tostiunoiits make the first 
and most elK-etive impression on lieatheri hearts. They work 
to<,'etlie.- as members of one revelation. The order of rank will 
ditlV.; amonj,' ditterent peoples and individuals. The pieture of 

IJcsiis has often a wonderfid power over heathen who have 
been somewhat i)repared beforehan<l. Jesus' miracles, and 
especially His sutterin,i,'s and death reveal to them with 
strikinj,^ clearness the natnre of (;(»d, the mereifnl l{edecmer, 
and brin-j; liim so near them that they can venture to trust 
llini.' It is less the love of (iod than His self-revelation, 
His incarnation, the clear manifestation of the Divine etlorts 
for lost men, that makes the person of Christ attractive to 
these animistic heathen. The omnipotent and jifood (iod 
who eonununicates Himself to men speaks to them in Jesus 
more impressively than in the Old Testament. 

In the Papuan scliools the children listen ea<i;erly to stories 
of the suilerinjxs of Jesus. Some of them ask the missitmary 
to sjjcak of Jesus every morniii}^, and i)ass over all else. 
When the missionary Helmich spoke to the Papuans about 
sin and for<,nvenes8, he {,'ot little attention, but they gave 
more heed when he spoke of CJod's dee<ls, of Jesus' resurrec- 
tion. His second cominj;. and the judfjment of the world. 
Tiiey were visibly alfected by the story of the raising of 
Ija/arus, and the men cried to the women : " Do you hear 
that ? the Lord Jesus called to him who had lain in the grave 
four tlays, and he imniedi'.itely arose." They often repeat 
to themselves the details of the story. Van Has.selt also 
preached with success to the Papuans in the form of Bible 
stories, especially stories from the life of Jesus. A young 
candidate for baptism in I'arparcan (Sumatra) wept on 
hearing the story of the ])assion. The picture of the Crucified 
made a deep impression on the savage heathen Iraona Iluna. 
The story of the rich man and Lazarus powerfully afTected 
heathen in Hatu Mamak (Sumatra), and they talked about 
it till far on in the night. The missiomiry pilgrim, speaking 

' Ziiizcmiorf iii-;.;in liis im's.seiif,'prs : " Ti-ll tlipiii liistiirically (tlicro is life 
ill it) that Josu.s I'lirist, very Goii, horn of tliR Father in etciuitj, and Vfry 
uiiiu born of the Viij;in Mary, is mit Liirii," etc. 



ma 



TiiK VK'nuuors foimks of tiii; «;nsi'i:L jiu 



of lii.s early work iiiiioiiji tlu> liL-atlicn in ToIki, savs ; " I 



\\:i^ 



oiU'ii siirprisi'i 
lid I 



at tlie (|\iii'kii«'ss with wliidi rvi-ii old ntcii ami 

1. 



women eoiild pick up and aceiirately repeat l»il»le -tunes. 

Mission records are full of examples of the etV«'it wiiich 
the inessaye of the inearnation has upon the heathen. They 
(h) not seek any explanation of the death of Jesus: the 
(piestion as to the lieariiii,' of ilis sulferimrs and deatli on 
man's salvation oeeu]>ies them oidy at a later stam'. Unt 
His person jJjrips them, and is a revelation of (iod to them. 



It is not the human i^reatness and nobility of Jesus tliat tel 
ipon the heathen, the moral presu|)positions fur that are 



wantui!' : 



Jesus to them is worthv of consideration, lurause 



in Ilim they see the <j;reat (iod comiiijj: tlown into the world 
of men. The ett'ect of mission {)reachin<i on heathen liearts 
is an exposition of Jesus" own testimony to Uimsclf: he that 
scetli >Ie seeth the Father. The Son of Man hecomes to 
them the way to the unknown (Jod the Father. Tiiat is 
possible, because the revelation of (!od in Christ satislies 
their inmost need for truth. ^ The Son attests Himself to 
their hearts as the self-communication of (lod, and therefore 
they art justified in usin«^ the names (Jod and Jesus in one 
and the same sense. 

The experiences of foreifjn missions pn>vide an apolo<_'y 
for the Bible stories. Livinjij persons only can mediate life. 
The story of Abraham helps to brinj? many heathen to Cod : 
it coidd not do that if it were a mere myth. For Cod is 
not a (Jod of the dead, but of the livinu;. A mytlM.lo'iical 
Abraham, Jacob, r^amuel. could not be the means of impart- 
in<j a new knowledi^e of Cod to the heathen who are in- 
different to relifiiim. It is ntit the moral conduct of tiiose 
men of (iod whose iini)erfectio'is. not concealed by the Hibie, 
are felt by the heathen, that makes them precious; it is 
their relation to Cod, their childlike piety. They see in 



' "Tliat is cverywlu'rc the w;iy to (iod. Kveii the low i^lolatiT, who sees 
above tlie deities the mie living' < Iod, the t'n ator and ,Iud-e..| ihe w.uld, can 
only hoUi last this iiietiiie in Chiist ; hut thnmf,'li (;Iiiim lie run .'Mlei uitn ;i 
(icrsoual relation with (Iod. 
come believers in (iod." 



Only till- n.^li (.'hiist do the heitlien hr- 



2.12 TIIK MVIN'<; FOIU'KS OV TMK (iOSI'KL 



■ t 



! 






^:\ 

■"T'i 

iit'i 



tlieiii liow (Jotl nuidesft'iuls to woiik men, dinrts tlicir lives, 
draws tlieiii to lliiiisi'lf, aiul tliat in siuli ,i L,'cniiiiu'l,v iiiiiiiaii 
wav as to awaken in tlieni too tlie lonvcin^ to have tliis (iod 
as tlieir (mxI. The biblical facts, from tlie creation to tlic 
outponrinn of tlie spirit, could not produce such results, 
uidess they were actiud history of dlod's revelation of Himself 
to mankind. This actual inlluence of theirs attested by 
mission work everywhere must have some power behind it. 
I'ower Divine pulsates in these s'ories, for they waken life 
in the dea<l heathen world. 

The uiissiunary, who wouhl put the story of Salvation in 
the back<i;n)und in order first to develop ideas, to instruct, con- 
vince and prove, would deprive himself of the most powerful 
means of evanf,'elisatiou. What better thini,' can he tell the 
heathen about (Iod than His acts ^ The (ilosi)el is the same 
to-day in heathen missions as when the apostles preached : 
"A concrete, actual manifestation of (iod, an interposition 
and spontaneous expression of His livinjf reality in the midst 
of humanity. . . . For all th .; its hearers learu are facts, 
purposes of (iod, events from the past, present and future, 
promises ami invitations— all misjihty, ol>jectivc, real, without 
any reflection or contemplative feelinj^, entirely homoj^enec us 
to tlie livinfi;(iod and His enerjj;isinL( action." The (Jospel has 
no theory about its facts and promises, no reasoned ,<i;r()und- 
work, no intellectual adjustment of the events it proclaims. 
The ert'ect it i)roduced was directly coruiected witii this 
freedom from ideas, to those who are peri;-liin<r an offence, 
to those who are beiuf^ saved a power of (iod." The ij;la;l 
messaj^e of (iod's revealed deeds carries in itself the jjower 
of overeomin}' licathenism. 



The (iospel brinsrs to tlie heathen the liviiii,' (iod ; the 
story of salvation reveals Him to them as a (iod of saviii<r 
deeds. Aloni,' with and complementary to this revelation they 
receive a second ^ift, a mis^lity experience ; they are set free 
from tlieir old slavery. Tiie knowledge of (iod which comes 
to them from His revealed acts delivers tiiem from boiida<,'e. 
The insurmountabie wiill that rises uj* between the heathen 



Tin; VKToiMors foiki's ok rii!. (.'•>:m i. •2:v.\ 

nnil (ii'il i-- ni>t >in. as amori'^' um-si'lvcs (imt in tlu" lirst 
phu'i' at aii.v ralf): it is tin- kiiiu'iloin of darkiics-- in wliicli 
tlii'V air Itouiiil. 'I'iiat linnda-^'f is >liti\Mi in tin- tVar tliat 
sni-foiiiiils lliciii. Icar ol' mhi1>, I'.ar tif sitirits, I'vuv of Imnian 
I'Moniii-s ami inay;iiia!is : in an ii,'!ii»niinii'us ilciK'nilciu r n|iiiii 
fatf. Tin- (;(i>|n'l ciiinc- tn uiilno^c tin- i|^nnlili- ImmkIs. It 
stainls ini-tli lii't'ofc llu'ir i vt-. a (lclivfrin„' powrr, a n-ilfniiition. 
Tliat nu'cts a need set il.Mplv in tlir lu;itlu'ii lirart. 
Ilcatliciiisin is >o\v\y paiMCil \>\ tin- raptivitv wiiosc IVi'.i's arc 
IVar and niisorv. IJut what iVccs tiic dcninn widsliippcr niu-t 
he a iiowi'i-. t'nr i! is a )ii>\vtT tlia! lunds liini. Dflivrranco 
i-an (iniv cdiiu' lliiuni,'li sDnir niiijlity thdivorcr, tlir living 
(Jod. riif licallim Is iVi'i'd rnnu liis slavish tnndition wlicii 
lie iK'tii'vcs tlu' nii-s.-a'^i' alxmt tlu' oiu- Aliniu'iity Livin<; 
(Jod: ami lu' is led t.. that laitli hy luarin;^ ol' the -.Teat 
deeds which reveal Mini clearly, lie eiitir.> into a rclatinii of 
chihliike coididt-nee in the .\inii',dity which - iiini Tree fmin 
the pdwer that has hilheito hound him. This iVeedoni he 
feels ill the fact that the iei;r which has hitherto darkened 
his hf<- has vanished. The separation from (Jod which 
exposed him to fear is ended: the way hack to (lod is 
found; fear then ceases. For the man who has (iod fears 
nothing,' in earth or hell.' The positive side of the t,'ift is 
eommnnion with the livin-,' (lod, its ne<r.'itive complement 
deliverance from fear and from the dominion of demons. 
The lieatheii who have found (Jod have nothin'j; more to «lo 
with their jailer: Cod. their mighty friend, has made them 
free from the u.'tTnioi (Acts xiv. 1.".), and the Pauline ourc 
i'lyytXoi <nne ni>\iu (lloin. viii. ;{»), hecomes their triumph- 
.souj;;. 

Any one who knows the dark power of animistic heathen- 
ism will understand that this mi^dity intluence which the 
(iospel exerts ciumot fail to make it attractive to tlie heatlien. 



' T'l I'lit It in iiu'iliral i:iMj,'iui,L'o ; fi'.ir is till' Hyiiiptoiu of the i|i.si'asi\ i.e. 
estriiiif^i'iiuiit IVoni (I.^il. Tin' liratlii'ii U'liipt witli cfViirls of ilcs|.,iir ii 
syiiil>toiiialii- tivitiii.iit (ill •Irf.iiiliiiL; tlniiiM-lvMs a^Miiist tlii-'lnMibil |.nwr|i. 
('lirist atlarU- 111.- i'\il :it tlic rout in i, >toiii'j; r.iniMmiiioi uitli'io,!. lie 
liiljis mill IumN ; II>' i- lli" S.ivioui-. 



•J.M TIIK LIVIXC F()U(i:s OV Till: COSPKL 

and iiuwt piTciuns to tlio liciitlicn ( 'liii.>.tiiiii>. Tliosr wlio 
ffel tlifiiisclvi's |i(»,scssf(l itf this ciiliiiiuliisiii;,' ;,nlt coiiri'ivf 
nj till' (i()s|K'l tn(( iiiiU'li IVoiii this side. Tlify st-f Jesus 
certainly iis the sell" -revelation of (iod, hut tliev see lliiu 
eliietly and most eleariy as the e(ui(|neror of demons and 
of the devil. The heathen nnderstaml tlirouirh their own 
experience that .lesns has eonie to destroy tlu' works of the 
devil far Letter than many Christians tc whom the devil 
is only a product of oriental fancy, a dr< which can no 
lonjjer (it into relined nnxlcrn tlmuirht. f,»en those amonj; 
us who hciicve in his existence have reduced him to "the 
tempter" ; to the heathen he is a master ;;irdled with power, 
from whose despotism Jesus redeems them. In tlicir old 
days of dcmon-worsliip, the sense of sin sank into the hack- 
•^round, because of the conscious misery (»f their liohda<;e to 
the devil. They lay hi)Id then of Jesus Christ not so nnieli 
as a Saviour from the power of sin, as a deliverer from the 
powers of darkness. The (iospel truth which they first 
^jjrasj) is that Jesus has power over the demons, and that 
He IniH come to make sons of (Iod of the slaves of sin 
and the devil. 

Lookiufi back upon tiieir heathen condition, they do not 
tliink of it as i,'nilt, hut as a fate from which (mhI's power 
has wresteil them. This throws lijiht on ;i fact often 
observed amonj; heathen Christians, that they are apt to 
view the sins of which they are conscious luore as a fate 
than as personal liuilt. It is ditiicult to awaken the sense 
of personal responsibility in men whose wills were subject to 
the fascinatinjj; [utwer of Satan's jjrovernment. 'I'hey believe 
that they were aetini,' under an irresistible constraint. Jesus 
has delivered them from Satan ; lie will also free them from 
sin. The consequence of this mode of tlunifjht is that nniny 
heathen Christians, while reco<i;nisini; sin to be a power 
opposed to (umI, are in dan;j;er of nnderestimatin<i it as 
{)er8onal jjuilt towards (iod. The sense of sin as personal 
•juilt will only cimie with the fuller devehtpment of conscience, 
which results from the intercourse with (Jod which has now 
bejjun 



TIIK Vl( T(U{lnl s I'diM i:s oi' llli; cosl'Kl. -»:<:. 

Ill Wflcoinin;; .Icsii^ as tlic tlflivt'nr IVum ilic Imiii<1,ii_'<' t.i 
(Iflimiis aiiil ol" l"»-ar, tlic luatli<ii lia\i' tt'.l •_'••; tic \\li«'lr 
Clirixt; tln'v liavc. liowcvtr. that in Him \\lii>lt i> tlic foii 
(litioii for fiirtluT u'ifts. \i/.. a lUtlcfiiicr wIm. opfiis tlu- iloors 
of tlioir prison. He is for tlu-in t!ii' niiu'li'v lltro. the lircaktr 
of their iioiuls. thr Saviour xnIm. ih'livcrs liitiii finn: the 
powiT of (lariini'ss ami translates th.in into tiic kini,"h«iii »\ 
lijjht, their Lonl to whom tliev now iicloni:. I roni the 
ile|itlis of tlieir soul eomes the iont"ssic.ii : \\\ l-onl who lias 
redeemed me, a man lost ami coiKliMiinci. from all >in. irom 
death, and from the power oi the de\il. Tiie reMilt> wliiih 
Christianity pmdiiees amon<; the lieatliin pn.vc that it \.> a 
re!i>:ion of redemption, it is understood and it is weUonu-d 
as such. Zaeharias in his j)roplieey. aniun„' other '^'iit- ior 
the deliveranet' of the true Isnu-l. reekons .(./..I-icv t*. \<i^('.x 
*X^/>"''' f'n'rrOi'imK X.iT/m'ui xiV-r. (l.iike i. /"I*. I< i" "•» 
small thin-^ that Jesus does in delivoriii- them from the 
hand of the enemy ; that is as mueh a pait of His redeemiii'l 
work as His i)ropitiation.' Do not call this ae(|uisition ol 
heathen Christians a lower staiie of Cliristianity. For .lesus 
eame into the world to preaeh <leliverance to them that were 
houiitl. Their deliveraneo from the iron yoke, whose oppres- 
sion and pain we eamiot fully imai.nne. is an astoundim; 
event, the <,'reate.st in the heathen's life, for them it is as 
primary as was the deliverance of Israel from lv_'yptian 
boiuhif^e, the <,'reat fact on which the faith of the Old Testa- 
ment people of (!o<l continually reposed, the foundacon ol 
all the rest of tin- acts of ( iod. dcsus ai>pcars to the heathen 
in overwheliiiiiifj; majesty and jjloiy as deliverer. 

We may put it thus: The (iositel is acceptable to the 

1 I'.iulsiiys, in Col. ii. 1.-. "<'.."1 li.is ,|ui.l<,iH'.l us l.y i,;iiliM- to His cn.ss 
tl,o Immlwritin- tl,at «:is :.,:.unsl us. Tl,.r.. on tl,r -p-s. (l.tist l.i- n.a.i^ 
,u, open show of ra, d..xi! ^ai ris .tovua,. hy spwlir- ll..-.n :n>\ lnuiu|.lnuK 
overthfin. Cliiist lias Ri^ilr.! thr .ipiuoui,- ,m,w.is l.y Hi- .1- all., ,.. . .IivsUmI 
tlK'ir. ot tlu-ir fonuci- power, lli.ir auth...ity. ll..' L ar «ilb wl„<l. i.uii .lotli^ 
tli.ni ; He has liehl them u,., uaknl ali.l haie of all l.o^., ,. They n,AV stu.d 
in their notliiu«ness in the [.iUory as those who hav no powvi, and are 
moeked as those eon.,UCVC.l. Their f.u luer pow. i is , han-. •! into uupotene ; 
tls.-v are isnniask'.'.l as ,le.-eivers ol men wlio aie n.ln-ule.l. 



2:i(i TIIK MV!X(J KOUCKS OF Till: COSPKL 






;> ft 

!>■' t' 



i 

fe}rf 



lu'iitlu'ii as a kiiij,'ilt)iii of (Jod; this kiiiurdoiii is .oiiccivcd 
viTv rnilistically as a iniu'litv kiiii,'<l(>iii. ovc' wliii-li .Icsijs 
rules, whosi- sulyt-cts aro pninf a^iiiiist dcmotis and evil 
|Mtwers, beraiisc tlii-y an- iiiidrr ( lod's iinircctioii.' Tliey 
know tlu> kiii;,'(loiii of darkness from their own experienee. 
•lesiis lias eoii(|uered tiiis kin",'doMi ; lie delivers all who are 
weary of Satan's j,'overnnient ; lie lutonies their stron-^ pro- 
teetor and kini.'. This eoneeption strikes the Aniniist the 
more rea<lily that he ean only think of kiriLnluni or state 
in u rcli-xions fashion. The heathen state is the finiily 
estcnded, and. like the family, is hased on reli;,'ion : henee 
they eoneeive of a now reliiiion as a new kin-doin. The 
kinploin of Cod reminds them oi' their ithii of state in 
whieh reli<,'ion and state are elosely united. I'hat kingdom, 
in hriiiKiii},' a new etistom, himls men to a new line of 
eonduet, and represents a new jiower. The mere ehnreh- 

<,'oers, who d( t even attend the instnieticm for hai.tism, 

yet put themselves under the proteetioti of .lesns: they feel 
with a eertaiii jiride that they are suhjeets of Christ s kin;.'- 
dom, and beinj,' tlierein are seetire. There is somethini,' 
attraetivo to the heathen in heeomiiiL,' a eitizen of this nnithty 
kin^'dom. For it means to him the kingdom of freedoiiL 
.lesus is to the youni,' Christian the vietorions founder o«" this 
kiiijrdom, its law-iLjiver, and its kinf,'. Well for him who has 
beeome its suhjeet. 

The words, "deliveranee from the house of honda^'e, " sound 
sweet in the ears of the heathen. Wheti the evan;,'elist pro- 
mises the polytheist deliveranee from fear and from the hard 
scrviec of spirits who arc never satisfied ; when he invites 
the weary and heavy Itiden to aeeept refreshment and rest, 
he may eouiit on his friendly and allurin<j W(»rds lindini,' an 
ceho ill their hearts. The history of Aina Cahonoa (Fetero), 
on the west eoast of Nias, is a typical example of the (Jospel's 

' "The M.^i of a kiii,i,'(ioni oltJod, a Ifiii^'lom witli one Cod ami kiiifr. tlic 
iHpa that tliis Ood is (;,„i of tlic wlmlc world aii<l id' all [.oapUs, tin? Jii.- 
kiiijjdoiii is uiiivirsal, that all are calh-.l to it to he sav.d fiom tl,,. wiatl, to 
poiiif, and to I'orin our laiiiily of (Jod on earth and in hwiviii ; lh,i'. is Hi.- 
uiiiv.'i.sality of ('hristianity, of thf> kingdom of <;„d whirl, niu-t he the 
luniianiciital content •..■f m!.s.-.ioiiaiy jirrariiing."" 



TiiK vi< Toitioi"^ i'()!in:s or tiik «;osi'kl i.c 

ililliHMUT nil s:iv;i'_'c !ii ;itluMi hfurti. It ^h■^^ liiitl Iml'l "f I'Hii 
as a iiu'Nsauif ol' tl»li\t iitiHc ami <>t pcaif. Tliaf nunMi was 
i-()iitiiiiinii>lv iiil'oti'.l witli licail-liiiiiifiw, ami tlic 1""m iroplc 
livnl ill tctii.r liv dav ami l>y iiiiilit. l-i-tt. tlic ini-siuiinry, 
tolil flinii of .losiis who ri'cuiiciK's ini'ii will ' ixl. ami liriiii^ 
a new cartli wiu'H' tliirc will Ih- iik lu-ail liiiiittTs to <listurli 
tlu'ir |K'ai»'. ami wiit'ii' lluic will lie no imirr sickiios. >iii. 
imr tjcatli. |)fc]>lv iiKivctl, Aiiia (iiiliniina oam.'lit Lett i>_v 
l..)lli liaii-ls. ami irinl. - \aa<\ [\:r tliitlicr. Tin' key whioli 
i>|ii-m'(l till- lici'.n 1)1' tliis licatlu'ii was tin- iiicssairf "f re 
(Ic'iiiptioii iiitirprt'tfil l>y his smil yra;iiiii<: aitt-r oiilwanl 
|.i'an'. Till' (Jospfl <j;ri'W alUTwanls I.m him into dflivciamr 
tVoiii till' ihvil and IVoiii the Immls of hfuthfii rcliLrioii. 
Aiiia (ialioiMia soon thirw away his idols: In- cut. n-d into a 
liviii;^ ri'latiuii with »iod. hcvraii a new life of siiufri' |irayfr. 
and ill cvi-rv rcsjicit itcraim- a new man. Mis history i> 
repeated in many of llic lu-atlicii of the Indian .\rclii|>('la<,'o. 
The stuitiiiy;-|ioint of ilic iiiaiii:«> 1;^ !i lomriii',' for delivLTaiico 
alio rt'(K-m|)tion iiioic or los outwardly comoivfd. luit this 
loiifiinn is dfcpt-iu'd in the rase of those w ho liav roiiii" to 
src the ruinous po.vcr of sjiirit worship. 

•As till' whole power of iiealheiiism anioiii,' the Kols lies 
ill their fear of the Hondas, or ivil spirits, eonversioii to 
('liristiaiiity must hoLti" i>ii'l ''s''* heiiiin here." Hottrott 
declares that many of tlicin. weary of the hard service of the 
evil s|>irits ami <j;roaiiin!i umler their dominion, are driven liy 
fear to .lesiis the Deliverer. " Tiny turn to Ilim l»ecaus<> He 
is stroii'^-r than the |{om,'as. ' He u'ivcs the same testimony 
coiicerniiii: the Iraos, Miiiidaris, Larkas, Santals, etc. Fear 
of spirits, or. as they say afterwanls, of the devil, a lon^'ini; lo 
he redeemed from them, drives tluiii into the arms of 
Christianity. Hichter says of the Aborisines of India; 
"The<;reat and i^ood Father in heaven who sent His Only 
Hc<,'ott< II Son into the world as Saviour, and proints Mis 
adherents from the malice ami (lower of spirits ai I dtiiKMis, 
is to the.se iK'ople (the Muiidas, Iraoiis, Santals, Karens, 
Khassi, Nat^as) a real '^osjiel of salvation." The Samoaiis 
dechired to Williams that they wished to hecome Christians 



i * 



238 Tin: LIVr\(! FOHCKS OF THE (JOSPEL 

to be freed from the iiinlevoleiiee of tbeir idols. It is said of 
Korea, where tiiere is a wonderful movement going on, tliat 
the mission lias freed tiic souls of the people from the old 
terrifying fear of demons, for which the Koreans are very 
grateful. 

Mieseher reports the saying of a blaek man on the Gold 
Coast : " Tile idols and fetiches we worship are the death 
of us. When one of us is at the point of death, and his 
relations go to the fetich priest to inquire the cause, he tells 
them : The jtatient must die because he has ott'ended the 
fetich. Thus we see that we are worshipping not gods of life 
but of death. . . . It is clear that we are living in the lantl 
of death. Tlierelore, we pray for mission-stations to be 
planted among us." llodi, the missionary, says of the wor- 
shippers of spirits in India : " If we ask these people what 
e.uses them to come over to Christianity, their standing 
answer is that they coidd not remain in heathenism because 
of the ever-increasing torments of the Hhuten, while they saw 
that Christians were not alHicted by them, an<l werv not 
afraid of them. It is, therefore, the longing to be delivered 
from the «h)minion and t(»rment of evil spirits, from their 
bondage and the fear in which as worshippers of Bliuten they 
were hehl captive, that moves them to accept the (Jospel." 
• • • "They accej)! Jesus Christ not as a Saviour who 
redeems them from the curse and power of sin, so much as 
one who delivers them from the sway of the powers of 
darkness. The truth of the (;ospel which they first lay hold 
of is that Jesus has power over the ilemons, and that He has 
come to make the servants of sin and the devil sons of God." 
Hosier bears similar testimony regarding the Shambala : 
" We missionaries all experience that our heathen hearers are 
never more attentive than when we tell them there is a 
deliverance irom fear." "The missionary does that by 
declaring (liat through Jesus we may become children of God. 
The more tlie Shambala yielded themselves to this Jesus, the 
more their fear vanished. They laid aside their former tneans 
of protection and began to trust (Jod." Trittelvitz vouches 
for the same thing; tlie desire to be delivered from fear and 



THK VKTOHlors F<»H("KS OF TIIK COSPKL -':»«.» 

from evil si)irits is one «)f tli;' iiiiiin iiiittivos tliat loads the 
Sliiunbalii to Cliristianity. '• Jesus is inii;iitier tliaii the 
smallpox inaiiiciaii, who would like to atlliet us with snijillpox 
by his inajiic, ' sai<l a youth, .lesiis is niifihtier than the 
aneestor spirits. Anyone who has reaehed that eonvietion 
readily eomcs to the Saviour, for "(Jod's ])eoplo have no 
fear." 

Wherever the knowledi,'e of Jesus has stained a footiny; the 
i demon's power is gone. Jesus turns out to he vietor. That 
I is noted even hy the heathen, for the power of evil spirits 
disappears even beyond the narrow eirele of the Christian 
communities, a fact which i^ives the heathen a ilini sense of 
(iod's power. It is said of the early Church that during 
the Diocletian persecution, it was a complaint of the 
au<,'urs that no omens eouhi be <„'ot in presence of 
Christians. However fre(piently the sacritiee was re- 
l)eatcd before the Kmperor, it was of no avail. The 
haruspex of the day declareil to the Kmperor that the 
Christians obstructed the oracles and si>,'ns <,Mven by the 
demons. The heathen declared that the presence <.f 
Christians often made the sacrifice impossible. Christians 
rejoiced, but suffered persecution beiause of it. The 
heathen Christians of modern missions have the same 
experience. The heathen of Hahnahera forbade the 
Christians to take part in their festivals, f»)r they believed 
that the presence of a Christian drove u.vay the spirits. 
When Fries, the missionary in Nias, desireil to witness a 
heathen festival, the priests politely asked him and his wife 
to leave the place ; the spirits of their ancestors eoidd not 
come to them while "the preacher of (iod " was lookin;: on. 
Hattak magicians have openly declared that since "(iod's 
Word " came to the cimntry their maj^ic has failed, and that 
not oidy with reference to (Miristians. Where they still ply 
their trade they become more antl more noted as conscious 
deceivers, Confesseilly, they have no jtower over Christians; 
these no h)n;^'er fear the once all-p<)werfnl ma<,ncian unless 
they voluntarily return to their bonda<,'e by fallini,' back into 
heathenism, A spirit, who took possession of a nuui, beiuj^ 



240 TIIK LIVIM; FORCKS of TUF (.'OSPEL 



askotl hy u D.iyak lioatlieii why tlioy «li»l not torment 
Clnistiuns also, answered, "We eannot sec tiieni." A baptised 
Hattak priest told nie that he had eoiiiniand ol' many arts 
whieh he eould only explain as the inspiration ol" <lcvilish 
powers ; hnt that all supernatural art eeasetl as so(m as the 
mcssa<i;e about .lesus was made known. A converted 
majjieian likewise told .lellinjjhaus that he had often seen 
thinii;s that were true, and often thinujs that were false, but 
like all Cliristian Kols lie believed that ma^ie jiut one in 
real eonnectitm with Mi'hadeo (the devil <jod of ♦! e Hindus; 
and with the Hon<!;as, and that it was the w<irk of super- 
natural powers. Like all Christians ho was lirndy convinced 
the evil spirits can do no harm to those who call upon the 
name of .lesus ; tliey retreat before the Christian's prayer. 
Another ma(;ician also declared that since Christianity entered 
the land the |{on<i;as '.lad lost their power. .Iellin<ilians 
remarks on this : " I was interested to hear from the 
missionary, IIuijo Ilahn, that the Africans (Ilerero) also 
said that since the advent of Christiam'ty evil spirits had 
lost their power." Hottrott l)ears the same testinntny re<^ard- 
inj; the Kols : " It is marveUons how little contitlence the 
heathen, in a Christian nei<j;hbo»irh<)od, put in their cere- 
monies antl prayers. The consciousness that Isu .Massih is 
fur ini<^hticr than all the lioniras, who are forced to fjivc way 
to Him, soon spreads in any district where a chapel, or a 
Christian house, is found. Hence, tlie heathen like to build 
in proximity to (Christians in the hope of obtainins; the 
protection of Christianity." A celebrated magician was 
challenged by a fanatic heathen to bewitch a Christian ; 
he dec'ared that he hail no power over him, for he prayed to 
.lesus.' it is often said that maf^icians admit that they have 
no power over th- missionaries, but the heathen attach small 
importance to that, as they rcijfanl the missionaries as 
servants of other and niii^htier ^^ods beyond tlie inlluence 
of the national maLnc, and often as themselves mif^hty and 

' A Niiisscr iM,if,'iria!i ]iut tlic iimttcr tlm- ; " It' a 'lisea-ic is fn.u] tliu ilrvil, 
the |i;iti( in may lie riiivil liy iilolatiy, liut it' it is rimii Cuil. I .ati j,'ivi' no 
help. " 



TIIK VUTORlors KOUCKS OF TllK COSl'KL iJU 

iiivnlneraltle niaiiio ini'ii. Hcatlion. oiu'c dfiiion possi'ssed, 
who ill their uiihi'Iiovins; ilays wvw instiuinonts ul' tlif 
demons without any will of tiieir own, wlit-n they pass 
over to Ciiristianity are freed from tlieir tormentors so h»n<x 
as they hold to "(Jod's word." An idol |>riest, who had an 
evil spirit, was believed by the heathen to have been eom 
pletely eured by his eonversion to Christianity. While the 
Mpepo siekness, which is re;^arded by the Shainbala as 
possession by a demon, is a daily oeeurreiuc ainon^ the 
heathen Shand)ala, it has eompletely eeaMil anionic ilie 
Christians. 

The younjjj heathen Christians are eiuiseions of a sense ot 
freedom, a feelin<i; of deliverance whose vividness and 
strength we cannot ima<]jine. The deliverance is not a 
mere belief; it is an experience. To the Christian it is as 
much a reality as the demon world, whose dread 'las 
poisoned their whole life and tlionnht, is to the heathen. 
It brings a great gladness. A i)ure, genuine joy runs 
through all the utter' s of newly converted iieathen 
Christians. Their e ; -s are cleansed by communion 

with (iod; and thi free from fear. These heathen 

Christians experience, •■ its pristine freshness, "the great 
joy which is to be to all people." But tlie joy and Irccdoin 
of being no longer under the fear of demons can be felt only 
by a Iieathen once involved in that fear. That is the 
repeated testimony of the Kols Christians, aiiutng whom 
the bondage to spirits had a specially dreadful develop- 
ment. A newly baptised Christian being asked v.hy he set 
long hesitated to become a ( 'hristian, answen-d : " I was 
fettered by idolatry, and did not know that the heart is 
made so glad by Christianity." The earnest heathen 
Christian has a sense of security against the devil, such 
as wc sec in the hymns of liUther. Uiedel, the missionary 
in Minaha.ssa, w.is accustomed to ask those whom he 
baptised what their feelings were during baptism : most 
of their answers sounded the note of j<)y, that they who were 
formerly slaves of sin and of the devil who bound them 
with cords, were now redeemed ami free, for which they 




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242 THK LIVIX(J FOIK'KS OF THE (JOSl'KI. 

heartily thanked thoir Hc<lcenier. The Xiawsers also ex|)reHH 
a lively joy at beinu; delivered from the fear ami tyranny of 
demons,' 

A converted Dayak testified that the lon«jin^ to <rct rid 
of evil spirits will easily lead the people of Katinjjan to 
Christianity. Another told how <me of his relatives had 
been severely tormented by evil spirits, but had been freed 
from them after her btptism. A Dayak just bai)tised 
admitted to Fei2;e, the missionary, that formerly he was 
much harassed by fear, and was very j^lad to have been 
delivered from it. Feipe remarks: "This is a common 
experience, which helps to brin<; the people in. Once they 
believe that Christ can deliver men from fear they are soon 
won." Even the Mentawey Islanders, who are still unre- 

' The joy of the oandiihitos lor haptisip in Lolnwa is toii<>liiiif;ly fx|iri>ssc(l 
in ii liyinn suiik by a young citecliuiufn, when that province reuoivcMi tlie 

missionary, Krunini, ami cast away its idnls. ||o sanf,' : 

" It is as il the sun had risen upon our mountains, 

Because the Tua (missionary) lias come to ns. 

We are in the lij;ht because lie has declared to us the Word of (iod. 

Lowalangi ((Iod) has come to us. 

Tlie Lord has come to us, to us people of Lolowau, 

To us the Iraono Huna, the luultitiide. 

The glad message has reached us, the message which satislies and i|uiet.i 
the heart. 

Therefore are we gathered together. We :ire all present. 

The aged have come, the young have come, 

We are here a.s.seiiibled, we arc now all present. 

We whirl round and beat the ground, 

Because the glad message comes to us, because it has readied our land. 

It rushes over our mountains,. and sweeps through our valleys, 

Because the Tua is among us, the briiiger of a new language, 
The bringer of a new word. 

Therefore our heart is full, mir heart is big .... 

Why came the message from the region of Lahuiui > 

Because the Sou <if (!o(| has come to them, 

Because the Saviour, our Kcdeemer, is amnng them. 

He has come to men on earth, 

That sinners who were tormented by the devil, and led astray bv evil 
might obtain eternal life. 

If we repent and foisak* our sins. 

We shall tiiid tlie way of life.'' 

(Sundernuinn, "Nias, 'p. 174 f.). 



^m^sff' ^™ .1 



THK VKTOnS'.JrS FORCKS OF TIIK COSPKI. '-M.l 

sponsive, feci tlieir hoiula^o. A woman ssaid : " NVo arc 
hopelessly ill debt to the evil spirits." 

On tlie Islaiitl Saiijiir, i dyinij; Cliristiaii woman, who had 
formerly heeii a priestess, eonfesse<l : " Before 1 was hapti.sed 
I felt hke a heavy-laden boat, iip t<» the jjjnnwale in water, 
and ill dan^^er of sinking ; now I am delivered from the 
licavy bnrdon which 1 felt oppressinij me." Many weak 
Christians in Halmahera were afraid of falliiitr hack into 
heathenism, lest they should ajraiii he haunted hy the spirits. 
A baptised I'apnan < xtolled Christianity to his motiier 
thns : " Y(m wonhl have no more fear of evil spirits and 
inaj!;iciaiis when yon are in the f^ardeii ; (Jod would watch 
over you." 

When the people are bronsj;lit out from their prison, life 
blooms for them on every side. They are no lon<^er under 
the crippling pressure of fate. They no longer need to 
give up their cattle for sacrifices ami festivals ; tliev are no 
lo!iger compelled to involve themselves in debt t<t meet the 
demands of the priest ; they arc no longer afraid of the 
magician and his magic. Peace and prosperity spread over 
the land ; the observance of days and the inmimerable 
prohibitions of Animism no hniger interfere with labour; as 
soon as the fear of demons is removed men have a freer 
relati<ni to their fellow-nien. Without this innermost de- 
liverance civilisation would bring little joy to heathen people. 
The Kola Christians are a striking example of the way in 
which a people is elevated by the sense of freedom which 
redemption brings. Formerly they submitted wii" dull 
resignation tn demons, and to their Hindu oppressors. Hut 
wb<>n breathed upon by the <piickening, uplifting and emanci- 
pating spirit of Cliristianity the fear of demons and the craven 
subjecti<m to their oppressors tied away. "The national 
efiort to get rid of the Hindus and their oppression went 
hand in iiand with their emancipation from «lemoii worship." 

It is their experience of the living (Jod which convinces 
the heathen of the impotence of demons. The breath with 
demon worship may have been in progress, but it takes place 
at once on their tiiiding (iod. A radical conversion is 



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244 TIIK LIVIXC; FOFU'KS OF TIIK fJOSPEI. 

cffccttMl, ii foi-siikiiiu: <»t" what was formerly venerated, and n 
.submissive tnrninj,' to (Jod. Wlien a Xiasscr desires to 
Iwcome a Christian lie throws his numerous ancestor idols 
out of the house, effoetinfj; thereby a radical breach with tlie 
past. Lett, the missionary, called on all those who had 
experienced in prayer that (Jod was the only (Jod to cast 
away their ancestor idols, and they were at once ready to 
do so. ( )n this occa.sion, Ama ( Jahonoa said : " If any 
one had formerly offered nu' the weight of these idols in 
1,'old I wouhl iu)t have -,'iven them up. I would rather have 
had n.^, throat cut than have separated from them. But 
now we have lieanl from the (;osi)el that (J(,d, in Chri.st 
Jesus, is williuf,' to be our Father, and have experienced that 
He hears our prayers ; therefore, away with this idolatry." 
The same thinj,' was repeated everywhWe on Xias : whoever 
professed the new doctrine brou<,'ltt his idols to the mis- 
sionary, who burned or buried them. Sometimes the 
.separation from ancestor images took place without the 
appeal of the missionary, and without his knowledge. 
Many of those who still kept their idols jeered at their 
helple.s.sncsH. On an occasion of that kind," Lett .says: "I 
felt then as never before the struggle that nuist go on in a 
heathen heart in breaking with what has been sacred to it 
.since childhood." In Hawalia (Xias), a chief cast away 
his idols, saying: "I do not believe that the idols can .save 
us ; their day is done. Therefore, I put them out of mv 
house, and give niyself to the living and gracious (Jod in 
good as well as in evil day.s." 

The Battak who desires to become a Christian casts away 
his idols and sacred vessels, and breaks off intercourse with 
them. Me often docs this by preparing a feast for them, as 
before and after eoLipletiiig the sacrifice, announcing his 
resolution and bidding them farewell.' He then l)etakes 
himself to the protection and service of the Christian (Jod, 

' A heatlien .lii,.!' wl,,, wish,-! lo Lofcnio a Christian -av,. a sol.-mn fare 
wo 1 fo.mt t.. h\< ancstors. AfUr hawng sl.„vv, then, all .iue Imnonr he 
callcl to tl„.n> : " Aocq.t this ollenn^s l'"t it ::: ine la.s^ I an> a Christian • 
farewell. 



■i »-'iJ^^ 



Tin-: VKTOHioi s K(>i?("i:s of tjik cospkl i>i.-. 

iiiid all iiitciroiirso with spirits trasos. Tlic iTiiiiiu-iatiini i>f 
his former masters is earried out by the heathen dofinitely 
and in a sin<,de act. Sacred objects t«» which their super- 
stition attributed secret powers were handed over by the 
heatlien on Ceram to the missionary who burned them with 
their consent. I'oor as the heathen of llaluialiera were on 
the moral side, they had completely broken with heathen 
usages. 'I'he same thinj,' is reported of the Alfurus of Mina- 
hassa ; idolatry was put away on their passing over to 
Christianity ; what had formerly been venerated wa.s freely 
given up. 

When the Papuans, after twenty years' resistance, turned 
to the (lospel, their tii-st act was to give ui) the secret cult 
and hand over the sacred nuigie vessels used in it. " It was a 
me-.Korable hour to the Bongu people when the men came 
with their instruments, blew them for the last time, then 
broke them in i)ieces and cast tiiem into the lire. The 
women who had been summoned by the men to be present 
trembled -ill over with fear. . . . The peoi>le themselves have 
cleared away the secret cult, that firm bulwark." Recently 
a movement towards Christianity was started ii« Dutch New 
(Juinea. Wherever missionaries or native helpei's came the 
Papuans freely threw away their amulets and ancestoi 
images. A young man brought his ancestor images and 
said : " Let all hear ami see that these are deceivei-s, who 
have deceived us and made ns deceivei-s. ' The J'apuans 
in so doing consciously l)roke with their heathen past. Van 
Baarda, the missionary at Tobello ( llalnuihera), reports a 
movement among the Alfurus, and says of those who have 
come over : '" The men who burned their idols have been 
converted, not from their sins, for they do not know what 
sin means, but to the living (^lod. " lie thinks those wlio 
thus break with heathenism worthy of being baiitised.' 

' Codlsnia attiaks \'aii Uaania (in this (point : "Can one lie iiinvcitcd to 
the livin<; Owl without heing Ci.nvertiil Irom liix sins?" Vrs. A lieatlirn 
can, for thi' tirst thinj; in liis casr is to turn away f'rnin the t'als ■ >roiN ami 
turn to th« living (Joil. In this lirst i-xjierifnce tlio sense of sin whicli is 
little (li'veh)|io(l reocile^ into the iKukirrouiiii hehiiid the •,'ri-,it <;irt of ijelivii - 
auee. t'unversion is not the same thin^ anioUK the lieathen as it is among 
Christians. 



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24ri TIIF MVrXC; FORCKS of TUK fiOSPEL 

The line whiclj separates the Christian from the heathen is 
clearly inurked here ; he is no lonjjer a sipelebenu, a " sacri- 
ficer to sjiirits. " Sueh a conversion slionld not be reckone«l 
of little value, although other great defects adhere to the con- 
verts. The man who has renounced the service of idols is 
\w longer a heathen, he has become a follower of the true 
(lod. 'J'liat cuts deeper into life, and is a more vigorous 
transfornuition than the conversions we usually see in Chris- 
tendom. Henceforth the catechumen will have nothing to 
do with the altars of the idols. Such heathen have broken 
with idolatry openly: they submit to instnuiiou in Christian 
doctrine ; they bind themselves to a Christian walk and are 
baptised. At the sanie time, however, their spiritual life is 
weak, their knowledge defective ; they may remain on this 
level their whole lifetime. Yet something has taken place in 
them which clearly marks them off from the heathen, if only 
they remain disciples of Jesus. ^ 

" Ye turned to (Jod from idols to serve the living r.nd true 
(jod, and to wait for His Son from heaven whom He raised 
from the dead, even Jesus who delivered us from the wrath 
to come" (1 Thcss. i. 9). Does not this passage teach that 
the point of first importance in heathen conversions is their 
turning from idols to the living G'o<l and their believing 
apprehension of Jesus as Deliverer? That makes a break in 
I)rinciple with the ohl life, with the root evil of heathenism. 
Their knowledge of the (iospel may be still imperfect, may 
even be confined to " the first jirinciples of the Woril of (Jod " 
(Ileb. V. 12); they may lack above all a thorough knowledge 
of sin and that conversion of the heart which is based on 
a deeper experience of salvation. Hut the fact that they no 
longer have any desire to serve idols or Satan, but the living 
God who offers them grace and forgivenness of sin in Christ, 

' Iile tcstifii's of the '"hristiaii Heioro : " Tlio ancestor cult and its institu- 
tions, ancestor wiirslii]), sorcery, sui>erstition, fear of spirits, have vnnisheil, 
»ad the lost fjod-con-iciousness, together with the knowledfje of the one true 
God, has heconie the <'oniuion ",'00(1 of the whole jieople. Tlie fear of the dead 
and of the vengeance of spirits has <;iven place to the fear of the true Cod." 
This much your missionary must testify of tlieni. though, at the same time, 
he is compelled to complain of their defective conduct. 



TIIK VUTOIMOrs FOIKKS OF TMK (JOSI'KL Ji; 



8h()\v« that tliey liavo oxporioncctl a true coiivorsum ami that 
of a priinarv kin<l. Tho liviiM^ y;i'riii nf a iii-w lifo has hi-eii 
plaiiti'il, tlu> hcaltliv di. vt-hipinoiit ol' wiiicli may in due time 
lead tliem into tiie doeptr experieiues of llie perfeit Chri.stiaii. 
Hut what a ehaiiije in tlie divine jud<;ineiit Inis taken phuu 
for tliese eonverts, despite tlieir elementary standpoint, 
is seen in Col. i. l.i, where the Apostle ealls on the heathen 
Christians to j^ive thanks to the Father who hath delivered 
them IVoiii the power of darkness aiul hath translated them 
into the kini^dom of His Dear Son. These words seem to 
me to he applied to the most elementary sta.<j;e of diseipl diip. 
J'hey show us what ( iod had in view in the words, viz., an 
aet of deliverance of souls who were hound by the p<iwers of 
darkness. They have heen snatehed from the power of 
heathenism, which was drivin<j them ever deeper into sin 
and ruin, and have been translated into Christ's kin','dom, 
that, as His wards, they niij;ht come under the intlnenee 
of tho powers of His s[)irit and life. 

Two powers ju-event communion with Cod ; one of them 
18 external to man, the demons and their |)rince, who have 
thrust themselves between the heathen and Cod and hold 
them fast in iron bonds. The other is sin, the tievilish in 
man which makes communion with (!od impossible In 
heathenism both are at work for man's ruin. Now (iod ha.s 
conquered the powers of darkness in a heathen heart, and 
brouj^ht that heart into connection with [limself; but sin 
has not yet left the Held. As lon<^ as the i)rinee of this 
world holds them captive the heathen have no eouscionsnesa 
of sin ; an<l even after they are delivered from that sway the 
consciousness of sin is only f^radually awakened, and then 
other powers of the (Jospel are deployed a^iinst this foe. It 
then slowly dawns on them that there is at work in them a 
second power opposed to (iod which may endan,i,'er this new- 
won relation to (iod. His first j;reat "jjift. When the iiej^ro 
slaves of North America \\er<' suddenly set free, the feeling 
of freedom prevailed over every other ; no doubt or care 
regardin<i; the future troubled them. So is it with the 
heathen Christian. He is conscious of being delivered by 



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2IH TIIK |.IVIN(; lOWCKS OF TIIK <;()SPKF. 

<«<mI, iiikI is liiippv ill that iDiistiuuMiiows All vkv falls into 
the bark^noiiiKl. 

.Mail) a iicathi'ii pots over the first hiiidraiice ; ho becomes 
free from tlie slavery of idolatry, but is hehl fust by the 
seeoml. ||e has no conception of the ruinous power of sin. 
Such heatlieii ( 'hristians, and there are many of them, remain 
of ii lower ;^'rade ; often they j;o downwards ; nay. many lose 
their new-won relation to (Jod and their freedom aloiif,' with 
if, for death is the certain end of every orjjanism that tloes 
not n;o on <levelopiii!,'. It is one tliiiij,' to be laid hold of by 
the .1,'lory (»f the (Jospel and driven by the lon},'in<r for 
redemption to burst thiou<,'h the limits »")f heathenisn" and 
attach oneself to I'liristianity ; it is a difterent thiiif? to lead 
a life of faith and obedience under the discipline of (Jcxl's 
spirit. It is easier for the heathen to be a t'hristian in the 
re!ij,'ious than in the moral sense of the word ; or, to put it 
otherwise, it is easier for him to appropriate the truth of the 
(iospel and make use of it than to obey its moral demands. 
For the appropriation of the (Jospcl that brin«fs deliverance 
is an overpowerintr, and at the same time a delijjhtful, ex- 
pericMce, but its moral outworkiiij]; is a continuous task that 
strains all a man's ener<j;ies. 

The heathen ( "hristians also re<rard the turnin<? from idolatry 
as the most importanf, step, for they look upon a Christian 
who a;j;ain takes part in the heathen cultus as one who has 
fallen. The Hattak Christians, elders and catechists, beseech 
us missionaries to be iiiduljjeiit towards the moral la[tses of 
chuicli members, and would have even serious transj^ressions 
f()r<,'iveii ; but if a Christian should ajjain sacrifice to ancestors, 
or have aiiytliini; to do with iiia-jic, no earnest Christian will 
speak in his favour; he is reu'arded as one who has fallen 
back into heathenism, and therefore as lost.* The fallen, 

' Clinsti.iii ohi.'i; of Si Goiiii.iiluii (Sumatial piotest,,! against admitting to 
tlic C'lniirli :. ( .uistiiin who had ajjain acted as a spirit niedimu. They 
insisted on lii.s h.inj,' treated as a heathen and jiassin^ throi!},'li the instnie- 
tion for Iiapti-,ni aijain. Wlien some Christians in (iuniiiij,' .Sitoli sNias) kept 
hark images of aneestors alter all ..thcrs had eleanscd their houses, the 
Churcli insiste<i that those should be exeoniumnieated. Merensky says: 
'• Kvery eustoni vhidi could in any way he regardeii as sMper=titious was 



THK VK TOKIOI S FOIfCKS HF Till) (JOSI'KL 2n» 

Koiiu' cyniciillv, sonu- with tears, iHliiiit that tiny liavc falU'n 
away to the dovil aiitl hci'ii j,'i\vii up t» ftfnial ilestnii-titiii. 
They are |H'rf«H'tly i-oiisciuns of their relapse into misery. In 
the early mission Cjnnvh also the only sin that was rei^'arded 
as (letiiiitely sepiiratinj^ one from .lesns was the return to 
idolatry.' The younj; I'hristians know tiiat that is the lowest 
depth to whieh a heathen Christian ean lull, for the turiiinR 
away from false ;,'o(ls is the foundation of his ( 'hristian stand- 
ing on whieh alone ean all elso 1h> Ituilt. Coinniunion with 
the livinjj (Jod is destroyed by a return to the heathen eult. 
That is the very thiuju' enjoined liy Paul on the heathen 
Christians of C( i i.th (1 Cor. x. lM ; -2 Cor. vi. 11 f.). 

It is no small tinn<j for u heathen to forsake the religion 
he inherited from his fathers, to refuse woixhip to the spirits 
he had dreaded, to shake himself free from the al!-|.owerfid 
fear; it is a mighty break with the past whieh has no 
ecpiivalent in ( ir cpiiet Christian life.^ The way may be 
prepared for it in «liverse numi.ers; in eertain eireumstanees 
it may be lightened somewhat; but it is and remains, 
especially in the case of first candidates for baptism, a great 
and most significant act which justiKes the reception of the 
courageous actor into the Christian community ' ')aptism. 
lie has experienced the first of (Jod's great deeds, deliver- 
ance from the sway of darkness, lie lias experienced the 
power and tender mercy of the Saviour.^ If he is now more 

sternly dis.-ai.!.,!. The pooplr l,,i,l no tdlciaiKv (, , J,,.«,. tluiit,'^.' A 
iuaj,'iciaii who wislied to visit the station was not alj.iw .i tor tlio ' 'hristiiiTis 
said : " Siieh a nia;;iri:,n is ail iiiiMli.ii,,-, hU !iai.-, l.iv ,i';va : liu niij,'lit ( ,ury 
on his devilish arts i., -J,,, nij-lit. and \vf do not wish our thildi. n even to see 
such men." 

' Cf. Harnack. Tin" duty of kirpin;; omsolf five I'rcni all d.'til.'niont with 
])olytlici3iu was r.-arded as the lirst Chiistiaii duty which took prcc'denfc 
of every other ^|^ •.".<'J >. In tlir licj,'innini,' it was heli. ved that this sin 
could never be lorgiviii. 

-This apparently outward hrcacli Uinon« the llerero) is not suHicientlv 
valued. fSuoli a lireaili iiin^t have more than mere outward tansts. It is 
mostly inward distress and the hojie ot l.eiiij,' delivered Irom it whi.h drives 
them to take 'l,i< step. It is a ihep thoUf;h nnconsrions feeiin;,' that 
he is lost in l^s heathenism, and therefore he .seeks ileliveianee in"<o,d^ 
Word. 

'A young OvandK). havinjr 1 i. e:il1e,l l.y lii^ ..jd heathei: i!..!,,.-. •-!■:.! !,y 



i r 



» i 






pi 

'■••J 



SI 



2->0 THK LIVIN(; roUCKS OK TIIK < .. | !:], 

fully iiistriiftt'd rojifanlint,' <i<»(l uimI IIIm suvii <4 (...!-. ;, v 'I 
a.sr('i,'ar(lini,'liirti)\vn«liity, liewliuuld l.( bapti^' i if,,, |,,nt4 
inuv ami of'tci" is tin' case that collatiTai ui ives i.u»o u 
nay in tlii' cKiivtr.sion, that Cliristiaiiif v is iiiisiiiHhTstn' f ji- 
(Itlivcraiicf rmiii iiiisn>, imvcrfy wmI iinri-st, that Hie low 
rrli<;i(iri is cxjH'c-tctl ti. yield hti|) m outward distro-ts. liut 
if those iiiixid wishes lead tn deMveraiie*" In ni the li(.iida'.'e 
«)f demons, and if those iieedin;; lirlp are ljr<Mi;;ht l»y instruc- 
tion or deeper experience to renoiiine Satan's service, then 
this hypath has led them to the iroal. And tliou''!!. as iti 
inevitable in siiecesslul mission lields, many hr.iihen «eek to 
k'coine Christians liecause it litis now hecomc the enstoin, 
yet even they tire weary of idolatry, and would lain turn their 
backs on their tormentors. In passin.' over to Christianity, 
now an cjiwy intitter, Miey become tree from the sway of 
(leimms. The impuiiaiit point then is whetlier they* are 

williii",' to be carried fmtlier. And tl ^inds ^'o on to timl 

iiiuch more in Christ than they s,mi;ht, a thiiifr -lot unknown 
in ( hristeiidoin.' 

The message of the living (Jod who created the world ami 
fjoverns it, who has entered itito humanity jiiid freed it from 
the fear ;ind dominion of evil spirits, produces a unitpie 
eflect anion-,' the s,.sce|)tible heathen. We nin si rcincmlior 
how little the hetithen knew iiliont C.d v. hen thev broke 
with heathenism, and how little they still know ; they (»idy 
know some of Ilisdoin<?H recorded in sticred history. Hut 
these bring Him so near to them tlitit they trust Hiin to free 

way of distiiiKiiisIiiiig the pre-eiil, troiu iIk^ |,a»t : " ll.iiial.odi ,li,-,J i„ 
baptism and Kiioih iiroso." 

' Aiifiustiiir judiris kindly many i.nti'n.lfd motives. "T , wakt-n in 
him a doli^^lit in the inii|iosc to lie what at first lir only wishi -i-ni. Ho 

shall obtain the tjue will which toinifily, thiou-h hi-. ,.wn f;ipii >„ through 
i-noiaiu'f, l... had not." Cyiill ol .lenisalom s;iys : •' Von n.;.-, i^oxsihly come 
under anotlar pretext. rVr it is pos.sible tiiat a man lesire. . a.a , woman, 
am: tlial he fumes on that aeo.nnt. A .slave o!t, i: desir, , |.. ,Iea-se l„s 
master, and a friemi liis friend. I >;rip tlie bait ol il.e l,ook an.i i;u:. thee 
^^ ho ;.,rt come with a bad intention but in ^ood hoped bein^ male jmiuker 
of salvation. IVrliajps you did not know wliat m t w..iild receive you. 
Jesus eaptures yon with the hook, nut to kill you, but to make"you a ,ve 
a'tcr you arf slain." 



THFC VKltMUors FtMJrKS (F Till ;()SM:! 



. >i 



tl. rii 'roiii their tynuif- 'Ihi Unit!, l inn-lli rt'iirt-. 

With tiu'ir i-xpfrifiu'i- f tho |.«'r>*<»i; il {!nn\. iuix - 

power f.' iii.iki- tht'iii If Ilk witli til whole n'nti 

'I'hc fi'iir of spirits disiipiM am, ami tl ■■( '\>* snriu'thHte 

iiioiisly «.'r.iit. The iimtlit r in -Itii-iU-. no \< wj - 1e;t 

tlc-tna-tivr envy <»f the spin? - • < if<> z^»tf 

jinMiiid at ilcatliH ami hiirin ur m. !■■' 

utensils are liruken i pieei uul ini 

The candidate f'<r I. tptish ■_'<» w :i 

<jri»si>, an cut d<i,vii t ■ ■ tree wliici wa 

and invioiidde as the al'<"if of mm- •• prini)-v:i 

even jeer af In- heiplessii. ss. Mutx <'hri- 

to heconie Iree iir.idiialiy : tlies " free. 

tlieni free imleed. 

I)i iiveraiic(> (roin fear i one ot 
'Wwpt'!. The f' r of d^-ath ( llelt. ii. 
far from ''hrist Uivv a- Ion -life iaj»; 
to men. tTcfon 
fear not ran' 
the »pii of in 
fear so ii'nji^ as v 
the Hi .oi! 
notliin,' fo 
side (Jiiit 
redeinpf i 
man has 
delivered 
For if < •u)^ he 

.1 -n^ !! I 
the i el I 
Tlie ...sj 
mn e. 
<leliver, 



•■lit 



tl 


at 




s\va! i 


•r 


he 


t 


<:. .1 


r ; 
1. 


ill! 


• 


s l)iiri d. 
(he spirit 
Ik^ saere«l 


ev 


1 


inees 


tor; they 


■i> 




!H do 


not ho|)c 






>on 


lias made 




.1 


I H 


oi* the 




kes a. 


who are 




( 


.(mIV 


iiessages 



\ III 
tear, 
xviii, 



li tly l)e_'in with lie ciieoiira<jement, 

(It'oii' viii ')), \ have not received 

Kv liHi.f ; that is, y(.u wait in 

tr- III Mnu of hondaije. It is said of 

. ii ■ they all al when there is 

ij;odly ii riti ■! Iiy fear cm every 

i..>rd is plenteous 



The 

1 1 .. Hilt 'with 

from all kaids of fear. lepartini; from < iod 

■en </i\(- up to fear; reunilid with (Jod he is 

•oin fe,K he beeoines joyous and eoiira<;eous. 

^ ho can lie a<j;aiiist us ? 

\i vt (if the (lod of saviiifi deeds and .lesus 

■Iki is the " <(ood messa<j;e " to the heathen. 

I ts a twofold f^ift which animistic heathen- 

, vi/., communion with tlie livint; (Jod and 

lolatrv. 



Hut thi< not exhaust the (Josjiel's power. It now 

- to tho^ lo in their deliverance have experienced ( iod's 

the m >st iilorious ijift in its cornucoi ia, the love of 

,ii Jcsu.-. Chri.st. That tills up the deepest defect of 



ii 



i:i 



2-.2 THE I.IVrXC FOHCKS OF THE (JOSPEL 

hcatlieiiiMii, a (loli'ct iiarillv (Iroamt of but now called into 
consfioUMiiess by tlic prottercd {^ift. Animistic heathenism 
is, in its very nature, unreserved selfishness ; the motto of 
its relij^ious exercises is a loveless 8tru<jn;le for existence.' 
It need not, tlK-reforc, surprise us that the (Jospel of (Jod's 
love offered to hearts still under the sway of heathenism is 
seldom estoeme«l a i;ift at all ; the car of the heathen is not 
attuned to its fine melody.'' The gift becomes desirable 
only when the latent need of (!od's love rises into the con- 
sciousness. For that a lon<jer preparatory work is ncede«l.' 
This begins with the unselfish compassionate love of the 
messenger of the (lospel, in whom the heathen sees for the 
first time a man who seeks not his own. It then happens 
that the living (iod attests Himself powerfully to their 
hearts, and the enslaved are set free by (Jod's grace. The 



P. 






' Hcv i\t. I'J'.'-lL'.^. 

- I.'clriiicl), till' iiiissiiiiiaiy, writes that it Is dilliciilt to make the rapiians 
uudci'staiiil the love ol' tloii in CMirist. " If you tell a Paiuiau : Jesus died 
fur you on tlie cniss . . . lie will mike a face its if he would say, Then .lesns 
was a very stupid man." " I Iie;,'an |ireai'hin<,' ahout the eross of Christ, and 
they erieil, Away with that. Such iiresuni|ition to tell us the foolery of a 
enieified Saviour." l»i.rii>},' tells us that the .Sliamhala answered to a sermon 
o" the love of (Iod : " You -^ay (iod i-. love ; how does that afjrie with His 
sendiuf,' of thehxusts? why does Cod kill men l>y linhtninn ? " lliehter tells 
us that the Conj,'o m-fjroes h/id a siuiilar reply : "If Cod loves u;;, why does 
He cause us to be siek and die ? " They would not admit that Cod was K'""! 
and they were evil. "Why did Cod create injurious insects?" "Why 
does not (Iod destroy the devil if He hues us ' " Tin latter ijuestion is often 
put to missionaries. A certain missionary, H., was latterly disappointed at 
tiucliuf,' that the me>sa^'c cpf (Jod's love docs not at once f{ain the heart, 
lichirc he went to .lava he was lull of enthusiasm, and said he would every- 
where tell the people rlie paialde of the lost noii. and then all who heard of 
such lovp must arise and j;o to the Father. Accordingly he jireaeheii the 
love ol Jiod with ureal linom, hut was sorely disappointed, for the .lavanese 
gave no heed to his nessajic. His disa|ipointment soured him and made 
him liouhtful of missions and of the truth of the Divine promises (Kriiyt, 
"Inlander, ' p. S.-J). 

' The hcatlieii r..itt;ik linds it very natural to say " Cod is ijood." It is con- 
stantly said, "Cod is 1,'raiious." Cod is represented as an old weak grainl- 
fathtr, wlio always excuses the faults of his f^raudchihlren. When they are 
told of (iod's love they think : We knew that Iomk' aj;o. They have no idea 
of the treniei,. lolls dilliiiiicc lietween the love of Cod and that weak /niasir 
taire litis^i r nil' r oT their o\mi ood. 



THE VIOTORFOrS FOH( KS OF THK COSI'KL 25.T 

truth of the (jlospel and its rcdceniiiifi power iiiuHtors tlioin 
and they renounce heathenism. Already they know (iod on 
one Hide; when they fjain a personal relati<»n to Him it 
cannot hut be that the love of (Jod, the most inward jjlory 
of His being, siiouid reveal itself to the suseeptiblo, as well 
as His power. The unselKsh htve of (iiwl's deputy enablcH 
him to be interpreter of the divine love, and he will not fail 
to urge and entice his hearers to look as soon :is possible 
into the heart of the evangelic offer of grsi v. The preaching 
of (jJod's love for l«)8t and sinful men ib like a seed corn, 
very soon planted in the heart, but needing a long jtcriod of 
warmth and rain to spring up. It will germinate, but the 
sower must have patience. The see<l of the noblest trees lies 
longest in the earth. 

One of our Battak teachers expresses himself as f<»llows 
about the effect of the message of (iod's love: "When 
preachers of the gooti message go to a heathen land, they 
at first declare that which can be most easily understood, 
the message about God who created heaven and earth 
and all that is therein, and then that about the love of 
God. The love of (»o<l is in the ears of the heathen 
like a savoury food. For men will always be glad to 
hear that they arc loved by a Lord, or a rich man, if 
they themselves are poor. The evangelist, therefore, will 
always si)eak about the love of God. In speaking of 
the creation of the world by (Jod, he will shctw that 
God cannot do other than love us, which is shctwn by 
the Paradise which He destined for man's abode (then 
follow the stories of the Fall, of Abraham, etc.). Hut 
the love of (iod is most plainly shown in the sending of 
His Son, aiul most touchingly in the fact that Jesus died 
for us, and that God for His sake is willing to forgive 
our sins and raise us to the blessedness of heaven. The 
love of God dawns on catechumens and Christians when 
they reflect upon all His benefits. Many feel (lods love 
in the hearing of their prayers. Then they gradually 
understand (Jod's love for their souls. When they have 
seen God's love in the sending of His Son thev venture 



254 THE LIVIN(i FORCES OF THE (;0SPE1. 



i »: 



iil 



v. 

i 



to pray for the forgiveness of their sins and to hojte for 
eternal life." The catechist has carefully ohsorveil the 
progressive effect of the Gospel on the hearts of the 
heathen: the first impression is made by the knowledge 
of (Jotl the mighty Creator; this is followed by contact 
with the (iod thus known; then follows the message of 
the Cod who loves. The heathen discovers traces of Cod's 
love in His intercourse with the Old Testament saints; 
he passes on to trace Cod's merciful love in the blessings 
of his own life and in the answers to his prayers. The 
love of (Jod which is revealed in His Son is perceived 
by the heathen only after he has gained a personal relation 
to Co<l. That leads to a knowledge of his sinfulness, 
wakens the longing for forgiveness, and develops the hope 
of an eternal life. A whole series of presuppositions must 
be fulfille<l before the love of Cod in His Son is under- 
stood and laid hold of. 

Another Battak catechist presents the matter thus: 
"When the heathen hear an earnest preacher speaking 
about love they are astonished ; they are also astonished 
when they hear of the love of Cod to men, that He 
even sent His Son to death that they might, live. But 
for the most part they are only astonished ; their narrow 
minds cannot at once take in the great message. Only 
at a latei period, when Christianity has taken a deeper 
hold of their heart, do they more and more understand 
the love of Cod which was made manifest in .lesus." 
The contracted heart must therefore be enlarged before 
it is capable of receiving so great a message. 

A Niasser Christian descril)ed his development as follows : 
"When Missionary Thomas fii-st came to us it was said, 
What is the good of our going to church ? We as yet 
knew nothing of our sins nor of prayer. Cradually we 
came to understand Cod's Word, and t«> see that the nus- 
sionaries' intentions towanls <is wore good." Thomas 
helped some families to get rid of their tlebt to a chief. 
"Then our hearts were glad at being free at last from 
the bad chief who had so alHicted us. 1 went every 



THE VKToniors forcks of TIIK COSPKL 2r..> 



Sunday to Cliiireli to lioar (mmI's Word, tlioiifjli at first 
I understood vory little of it. I did not know tliat I 
had sinned a<;;ainst (Jod ; I did not know what would 
comfort my iieart when it was sad ; I did not even know 
whither my soul would tjo when i died, nor that <J<m1 
would Judfje mc for my sins. I refrained from «h>in<; 
evil only hecause I was afrai<l of heinj;; imnished. l$ut 
when the Word of God <;radually found an entrance to my 
heart, I knew that not the idols hut (Jod alone eould help 
men. The idols can comfort no sad heart. Then I praved 
to the Lord Jesus for forgiveness of my sins, threw away 
my idols, and was baptised. Since then I pray to (Joel, 
have ijiven myself to Ilin , and look to llim to save me. 
I am finuly ccmvinced that .lesus forjjives my sins when 
I repent and pray for fon^iveness. The Lord .lesus also 
pr it into my heart to learn to rea«l and write. . . . (Jod 
Ik. also l)lesscd me outwardly, hecause I have jjiven myself 
to Him." Here also the way leads from the periphery to 
the centre : first, help in impoverishment followetl by a 
hearty jtersoual relation to the friendly missionary. For 
love of him the younij man listens to the Word of (Jod, 
though he does not understand it. Among the hearers of 
the Word the knowledge of the nothingness of idols is 
awakene«l, and faith in the living (Jod, which soon leads 
to prayer. (Jod is exi)er?"r><-ed. The i<lols are thrown 
away, a <d forgiveness is p ; ' for. More and more com- 
plete becomes the surrenc o the whole nnin to .lesus 
the Saviour, whose friendly h.. d is disclosed in the guidance 
of the redeemed man's life. 

Ama (Jahonoa, <m the west coast of Xias, to whom we 
have alrciidy referred, gives a clear account of his develop- 
ment. The (Jospel commended itself to him as a promise 
of peaceful rest ; he expected it to give him security and 
deliverance from fear. In listening to the story of salvation 
he was powerfully apprehended by the living (Jod; in a 
life of sincere prayer he lai«l hold of (Jod, and in living 
eonununion with llim grew in the inner man until .lesus' 
love took hold of him and awakened in him the knowledge 









■« 



•^^ 



i 



256 THE LIVI\(; FORCKS OF TIIK fiOSPKL 

of sin, which was very vividly expressed. Ever since his 
life belongs entirely to Jesus his Lonl. His progress is 
a kind of ideal example of the heathen Christian, advancing 
step by step to the full possession of salvation.' The 
spiritual tievelopineut of all deeper j^rounded heathen Chris- 
tians whom I have known in Hattakland and !n Niius is 
the same in its fundamental feattires. The knowledge of 
God's love in His Son, carrying with it the knowledge of 
their own sinfulness, is the apex of the pyramid. Many 
a stone nuist be laid before the topstone crowns the edifice. 
On the other hand, the spiritual life of those heathen 
Christians who have been brought up in Christianity is 
developed very nnich like our own. 

On this foundation the love of (»(»d is disclosed to those 
whose communion with Him is more inward, until they v '• 
apprehended by the Saviour's love which becomes the seco..d 
main experience of their life. The experience of all foreign 
missions is that the love of (iod is seen only in Christ Jesus 
who died on the cross and whom (iod raised from the dead. 
Despite its novelty, the heathen remains cold before the love 
of (Jod ; he acipiiesccs in it as a self-evident thing tmtil he 
is overpowered by the mystery of the cross. It is not the 
exhibitions of (Jod's love in the old Testament, nor the 
gracious miracles of Jesus, His healings, His compassion, nor 
even the experience of answered prayer that convinces the 
heathen of the love of God. The great miracle of giving the 

'To pri'vtiit nii3Uiiclcrs;aii(liiif,'s, let in.- sav expressly that every heathen 
Cliristian is not like Ania (i.ihoTioa either in his ihyehijinient or in liis inward 
maturity. Our inquiry now h'ails us more ami more upwards. While the 
cxperieneo of the persi>nal ('•ml and a real ileliveranee hy Him must he pre- 
supposed in the ease of all who hreak with heathenism, the proeesses to be 
further analysed are seen only in tliose heathen Christians who improve 
what they have received, and allow themselves to he led further hy the 
DJTine >,'ift. We except, of course, the thoughtless multitude who Hock into 
the Church at a period of convoision uf masses. lUit no outside critic neo<l 
expect all coiiverte<l he.ithen to im]irove the fjift they have received and 
advance to liijjher .ittainnieuts. Kveu ii: the he.ithen world the ;,'at« is 
narrow, and hw llnic he wlm resolutely follow the narrow way till tlioy 
reach the goal, llut these few are just the people in wlioin we may see the 
woikinj; of the livinj; lorccs of the (losind. 



THK vicnmiors fohcks of tiik (josimii. 



±-.7 



lovelesH hearts of the lieatlien an iiiwanl cxporiiMRf of tlic 
love of Hod is wionjrlit only by the Ciucitii'd. That is tlie 
kernel of their eonvcrsion. Jesus then heitiiiies to them 
more than the mere victorious deliverer tVom Satan's ehains ; 
lie is the embodiment of the h)ve which rent the heavens to 
save the wretched. 

This experience is not reached by all heathen (Miristians, 
but by those oidy who sutler themselves to be carried on 
from stage to Hta«j;e by (iiMl's spirit. Tiiesc are the best 
fruits of foreign missions, the sheej) not (»f this fold who hear 
the shepherd's voice. The power of the cro s is proved by 
the fact that in all missions to the heathen, from I'aul's day 
until now, it is the great teacher of CJod's love, and that 
only those heathen who have been apprehended by that love 
at the cross are true C'hristians, full of divine life and i)ower. 
To the heathen today, not only the etlucated, but the 
Animist and the uncivilised, as well as to the heathen of the 
early church, the preaching of the criiciHed is foolishness; but 
to them who see in it the love of (uhI, it is a power unto 
salvation. Heathenism is overcome inwardly by the cross; 
the heathen are made new creatures by the crucified. This 
is where the secret of power must be s»)ught. Wherever 
Protestant foreign missions have preached Jesus crucified 
for men, the Word has not returned empty, though oftentimes 
it has been long ere the results appeared. 

To illustrate these i»bservations from the diHerent mission- 
tields would be to write the history of missions. We shall 
only give some characteristic indications, with the view of 
showing that th" love of (Jod in Christ is not indeed that 
which is first unuerstood, but is in the end the moving power 
of heathen conversion. 

The history of modern missions l)egau with J. Heck, who, 
after five years' patient labour among the Ks(|uiniaux, had 
the joy of seeing that the story of the passion made the 
first impression on their incredibly stui>id minds. That broke 
the ice (Kajarnaek). Zeisbergcr had a similar experience 
among the Delawares; the prea(;hing of salvation for all 
men in Christ had a profound effect. " 1 never saw so 



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258 THK LlVlNi; FOUCKS OK THK (;()SPKL 

clciirly expressed on the faces of the Indians the darkness of 
hell and the world-conquering power of the Gospel." They 
could not hear enoujjh of the niessa<,'e of the Saviour, and 
were constantly exclaiming : " Yes, it is surely so, that is the 
true way to salvation." Schneider reports of the first 
ehainpions of the Moravian Mission : " What was the c(tntent, 
the starting-point and centre of the preaching of these 
missionaries ? Simply that in which they themselves found 
peace and comfort . . . the incarnate, suffering, crucified 
and risen Christ. They were witnesses of .lesus Christ. If 
any of them attempted to lead the heathen to (iod by 
another way he failed." With this message they won 
victories among the (ilrcenlanders, the Indians and the Negi'oes. 
Tschoog, one of the first baptistnl Indians of Pennsylvania, 
who, by his own statement, was formerly the greatest 
drunkard and the most willing slave «)f the devil among 
the savages, expressed himself as foll(»ws : " I was a heathen, 
and became old among the heathen, and iiiu therefore well 
acquainted with eve rything about them. A preacher once 
came to instruct us, and began by proving to us that there 
is a God. Then we said ; Why ! ilo you think we do not 
know that ? Keturn to where you came from. Again a 
preacher came desiring to teach us : You nuist not steal, he 
said, nor drink, nor lie. We answered him: You fool! do 
you think we do not know that ^ Learn that ytmrself. and 
teach the people you belong to not to do so, For who 
drinks, or steals, or lies more than your own peojile? And 
we sent him about his business likewise. After some time 
Charles Hauch came and sat down with me in my hut. The 
substance of what he said to me was this : I come to you in 
the name of the Lord of heaven and earth. lie wants you 
to know tliat He would like to make you happy, and that 
He desires to lift you out of your present misery. For that 
end lie became man and siied His blood for you. He went 
on thus, and tiien lay down on a board in my hut and fell 
asleep, for he was weary with his journey. Then I thought: 
What sort of man is this :' He lies there and sleeps so 
calmly. I could strike him dead, and throw him into the 



THE VKTORIOrS FORCKS OF TIIF <;0K|M:I. lT)!) 

wood— who woulW make any iiupiiry about him? But he 
iH not uneasy. I could liot, however, {jot rid of hir* wordn. 
They recurred to njo ujjain and ujjain, and even when I slept 
I dreamed of the blood which Christ has she«l for ns. lien 
I thouijht this is somethinjj different, and I interprcti 1 to 
the other Indians the further words which Charles Uauch 
spoke to us. Thus orifjiiiated by (Jod's jrracc the awakening 
anion<j us. Therefore I say to you : Hreiliren, if ou wish 
to l)e a blessing? to the heathen, preach Christ to tucni, Ilia 
blood, and His death." 

Uiedel was preparing for baptism an old priest in whom 
the spirit of Cod was evidently at work. When Itiedel told 
him of Jesus the Uedeemer, the old man said with tears : 
"That is a religion that ia sweet, and comforts the heart 1 
know many gods and have sacrifice*! U> many, but I never 
heard anything like that, that Cod sent His Son to be the 
Redeemer of sinful men. . . . We are afraid of our gods, but 
the true (Jod loves us." On a missionary journey in 
Betsileoland the missionary dukes was detained by heathen 
\.ho already knew the (Jospel ; they entreated him to tell 
them something of the good man who died for the gJiilty. 
When Stusch, the missionary in India, (|uoted to u heathen 
the words : The Sou of Man is come to seek and save the lost, 
he exclaimed in joyous wonder : "Is that theiiospel? then 
it is sweet." Richards, the missionary to the Cong«» negroes 
after preaching the commandments for a hmg time in vain, 
told them simply the story of Jesus, and soon foinid attentive 
hearers. The story of Jesus' birth excited their keen 
interest. " I shall never forget the impression produced in 
the chiefs town by the story of the crucifixion." After 
reading the narrative to the end, he spoke to them about the 
love of Jesus. "They were like men electrified; no one 
spoke a word. 1 wt)uld not have been surprised if they had 
said, We believe." The same effect was produce<l in another 
town by the story of the passion. The preaching of the 
death of Jesus on the Cross originated a movement through 
out llie land, and melted the ice around the heart of the 
long insusceptible negro. The Breklum miasionary in India 



2«(» TMK LFVIN(! FOIU'KS OF THK (iOSPKL 



■V I 



'A 



prodiu't'd a Kreat movement tdwanlw l.'hriHtianity by preach- 
iiij? iibout .leHUH who dwd for ma. But in all these cases a 
I' ng preparatory work preceded the impression of Jesus' 
love. 

The |)ower exerted i)y the Saviour's h>ve is not a mere 
[(assing excitement of feeling ; that is entirely foreifjjn to the 
matter ()f fact Indonesian. The reality of the inward exi»eri- 
encc is confirmed l»y the fact that all those who taste the 
love of (!«m1 are convinced of their own im worthiness and sin. 
The preaching? of the divine law cannot do that. Even those 
who have been made acquainted with the Almii^litv (JcmI, and 
been delivcrctl from the captivity of those who arc not (Jods, 
are very little troubled about their sinfulness. But the 
revelation of (Jod's inmost nature in the lt)vc of.lesus makes 
them feel how unlike (Jod they themselves were and arc. An 
entirely new feeling is liberated : how valuable I must be to 
tJwl when for my sake He died — an«l how unworthy I am of 
His love. The new light thrown on Ciod falls on their own 
heart, and their self-righteousness gives way to i)rof(mnd 
shame. Then only does the heathen Christian begin to feel 
the distance between himself and the Holy God. He sees 
with a shudder the abyss on the brink of which he stood, and 
from which redeeming love has drawn him back. (Jod's 
love is the only thing that dissolves the crust of self-satisfac- 
tion.' The condition of being lost is felt as a condition of 
debt A heathen Christian in Omaruni f^id : "To me it is a 
marvel, and I cannot understand how Cod whom we are daily 
grieving and offending, whose heart we are again and again 
making sad, can contiiuie to love us." The hard heart is 
coiupiered by the Saviour's love for sinners. ■' 

' The I'allier of a well-known Afrioan hunter said to the Mis.sionary Elmer : 
'• Our hearts are by nature as hard, inflexihle and black as iron, and must he 
hanmnred like iron before they ean lie soft, clear and licxihlp. The Lord 
Jesus IS the smith, His love the lire, and you are tlie bellows." 

- There is of course no particular scheme in accordance with which a sense 
of sin is aw.ikened among the heathen. The knowledge of their former moral 
shortcomings may he matured by their exiM'rieiice of the living, mighty, 
merciful Ood, as in the case of that Niasser wouuin who was cureil of a 
aerious illness Iiy (iod's vigiblo helii. She coufestiud : Liod has healed me, and 



THK VKTORIOI'S F()R(!KS OF TIIK (lOSPKL 201 

KicharilB, the miHsioniiry to the (\iii<jo ne^troeH, ha<i for a 
long time laboured in vain to convinte thcin of their inomi 
depravity. Xothin<j he eouid say made any iinpreMHion, 
One <hiy lie related the story of the enuifixion, whicli moved 
his hearers deeply ; and then he , :iid : " Yim have heard »)f 
this man who h)ved na, and went abont doinfj g<M)d, an«l 
never did anything evil. Kvcn I'ilate was forced to confess : 
I Hnd no evil in llini. Bnt He die«l on the cross for yonr 
sins and mine. Will you m»w tell me that yon arc not 
sinners? He was reviled l>y the Pharisees and Sadducees, 
despised by the centurion, mocked by the soldiers who nailed 
Him to the cn)SH, and yet, listen to what He says: Father, 
forgive them, for they know not what they do.' The ice 
round the hearts of these obdurate sinners melted, and 
candidatt;s for baptism sfM)n came forward. Hesse says of 
mission jireaehing in India, tiiat .Icsns' <leath on the cross 
reveals both the love and the severity of (nid. A Christian 
woman in South .\frica confesscti : ' When I try t(» bring 
Jesus' great sufferings before my soul. 1 cannot possibly con- 
tinue to sin wilfully. Oh, how I still feel those sins in me." 
In many heathen Christi-iiis the knr)wledge of sin arises 
suddenly ; in niost after a long hearing of the Word in 
serm \ or instructiuu as catechumens ; in many still later, 
iiftei ley have long been (Christians; but always through 
Jesus, .nd in proportion as they arc affected by the death 
on the cross. In missi(»ii fields where the heathen are driven 
to the Christian Church in flocks, there are many who have 
no real conviction of their sinfulness : they conseciuently 
are in danger of imitating the e\i)crience ex[»ected of them. 

In the case of most heathen Christians it is not the know- 
ledge of sin that leads then» to Jesus, the Reconciler : it is 
Jesus the Redeemer who leads them on to a knov lodge of 
sin. We see here tiu' working of the law of spiritual usury : 
to him that hath shiij! l>e given. The man who has been 
shown the Father, wlui huK been set free by the love of Jesus, 

I am now iilraiil lest I sin aHaiu. That is an exjierience similar to that ot' 
PettT (Lk. V. 8), whom fniiiilvuU: lor bh's«inj{ rccfivpii led to an over 
jHJWoriuf,' :(en»i' of his sin. 



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262 THK LIVIXG FORCKS OF THK (JOSPKIi 

receives further iiid fnmi the Author an«l Finisher of our 
faith : liis dull eyes open to Ills own misery, and he sees 
dimly that all this work of (loti is of iindeserA'ed ^racc. He 
finds in Jesus infinitely preator treasures than he soufjht. 
But we must not set up a scheme whicli «h)es not hoiil ^ood 
in every ciisc. Sometimes, even on virj^in soil, the Saviour's 
love for sinners is the first thiiifj in the (Jospel tliat masters 
them. For the wind hloweth where it listetli. Anyh(»w, 
it is only Jesus, suUeriufj, dying, who awakens the knowled<;e 
of sin : He docs so often with surprisin<; suddenness and 
without any preparatory mediation perceptil)le at least to 
human eyes.* 

The heathen, now in possession of this precious relation to 
(lod, comes to see in sin a danger menacin<{ it And it is 
the death of (.'hrisf, necessary for takinji: away the sin of the 
world, which opens his eyes to this fact. The dyh\^ of the 
Son of (Jod c«)nvinccs him of the <jtiilt of men as weh as of 
the love of (jod. Jesus becomes thus more and more the 
determining power of his religious life ; He has made him 
kn«)w (jod : He has set him free from the jwwer of the 
devil; He has made the l«»ve of God stream over him, and 
opened his eyes to his own sinfulness; He will free him 
frou) this inward foe, granting him forgiveness and the 
strength to tight. The name of Jesus becomes to the 
heathen Christian, the Alpha and Omega of salvation. 

' Oloyrr had an exuin|ili- ol liis in .li-yinir. " In a villajiP dwelt a rubber, 
Chii'f Muria, a sliaiiicli-ss felluw , wlio i niii' to im> and »iici r if 1 would only 
venture to onti'r his villaf,'!', I uouM Itarn liow |i<>werful he was. Whi'U I 
urrivfil he stoiMi on tlic street wil h hi.s followers heavily armed, i ', r>'aehed to 
him about the Sii\ lour who for < r sins was so weak thai le bowed Mia head 
and gave up the ^host, nid who is so strong; that every knee in earth and 
heaven must bow to Him. even the knees of robber*. The man then .ste|i|ie<l 
in front of me, li.i-ed his stioii'; arm, showed his scars, and said : I.o, these 
sears are the marks i my crimes. Can the Siviour of whom you speak save 
m great a sinner as I To which I answered ; You ranie to me and said you 
were prepareil to beat ui my -iknll. Von may do it if what I say is not true : 
it is written where siu aboumled, grace liath much more aboundud. The 
man went apart, sat down, and sobbed lonil, I have seen Him die. There he 
sat .... and sang : Jesus reeciveth sinners, hath even rci'civcd me. He 
then bared his arm, -howed his scars, and said : No man kni'ws how bad I 
am, but my sins are lurgiven me." 



THK VKKUnoiJS FOUC'KS (>F TIIK (iosPKL •->•;;» 

TIiIh nwiikeniiii; fonsoiousnosw of sin in a iioatlicn insui \n 
an iMitiri'Iv now psyrliolo^finil i'xi)eri«Mur. TliiTr is nntliin;; 
in aniniistio licnthenii^ni with wliirli it ran iio cdnnntpd ; 
that haH noithcr any knowlcdjjc of sin a<;ain8t iliu] nor any 
de«iro for forjjivonesn. And yet a lively knowl«(l!,'«' of sin Ih 
no rare tliint; in the heatlu-n Christian wurld. 'I'luTe can Iw 
few Imptisetl heathens — at least in the first days of mission 
work, when the forces of the (Jospel are most direct in 
their action— wI>o do not sincerely pray for the i<>r;;ivencss 
of their sins. Two thinjjs co-operate to nnike this striking; 
fact psychologically intelliijihie ; the lo\,' of .losns hnndtliiijj 
the prond sclf-ri^htctHis heart, an<l interconi-se with the 
livini,' Holy <Jod rcvolntionisin^ the man's own self estimate. 
Amon^ all heathcii Christians who are not mere camp 
foUowers, l»nt who have <,'ained an inner life of their own. 
the conscionsncss of sin, and the hmKini; for reconciliation. 
are lively. There are no pious heathen Christians without 
a real sense of sin. Hut their esperiencc of forgiveness is, 
we mi<,'ht say, more imposinj,'; antl their faith, after they have 
been redeemed from the devil, and Immijht into fellowship 
with (Jod, is more confiilent than ours. Looking hack on 
their heathen past they see that sin stood hetween them and 
(lod no less than the «lemons, and that for the sins com- 
mitted even in that time of darkness they were themselves 
to hiame. A former majjic jjriest at Samosir (Sumatra), 
several of whose chiUIren died after he In-came a ( hristian. 
saw in their deaths the righteous punishment of (iod for 
evils he hac? formerly done to many people. The \iasser, 
Ama (lahonoa. came to see that earthly misery and unrest 
were the outcome not so much of outward circumstances a.s 
of the corrupt hearts of men. In his ca.se the knowledge of 
sin broke forth with power; lie testitie<l to his c<mntrymen 
how, as a heathen, he transgressed (Jod's commaiidm(>nts. 
A Papuan Christian, who sntlcrcd greatly on a si.k bed, 
said : " I am sutfering so much from headaches now, because 
1 had a hanl head so long, and spoke and acted wickedlv." ' 

' Stoscli te.stitifs that a stii.so wl sin is <irti'ti torn hiiit'ly '-xprisseil liy the 
Tamul Christians. " It may Ur said that many iiativr Christians have a 
clearer consciousnuss of t hi' forgivencHs of ain than many in Christendom." 



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2(14 Tin; UVIMJ KOIU'KS OF TIIK <J()SIM;L 

TlioHc wlio ailvancc t<» n kriowIotl<;i' of «in arc the true 
('liriHti)iiiH, tliu •'{khI friiitH uf niiHHion work. Sntuii, at 
tirst their <jjroatt'«t and only conscious cncnjy, fullH into the 
background, and sin in feared increa^in<;ly tm the more 
dan}»eroiiM opponent. Tlicre are those also who love tlicir 
Saviour most sincerely. With them it is its with the sinful 
woman in the (iospcl : they cannot l>ut love the Saviour, 
because His foiLjivinn <,'nice hits opened their eyes t«> the 
fjrievons sins of their heathen past. Delivered from the 
iiij^ht of darkness they endirace their Deliverer with all the 
stren<,'tli of their j^ratefnl souls. This staije ..i spiritual 
f^rowth is not readied by all heathen Christians; many of 
them resf on their first experience, viz., deliveranee IVotu the 
sway of <Iemons. These are inclined to tleny ai v personal 
guilt, t^» ascribe their moral backwardness to the teniptati(»ns 
of the devil, whom they substitute for fate, and to ri'jjard 
the for<j;iveness of sin as merely a natural function oi' (Jod.* 
They have really experienced the lirst deliverance ; they 
have come also to know the livin<; (mmI; but they feel no 
obliiration to co-operate in maintaining conununion with 
lliui. Such rudimentary Christians, on whom the curse of 
stagnation lies, think it suiticient to confess to the missionary 
their of)en sins ; thcii wonmls are supposed to vanish, 
leaving not even ;• sear, und no one has the right to recall 
them again. If \on d >, you get the astonished answer: 
"Have 1 not already confessed?" These superHcial Chris- 
tians fancy their sins to be an ottence to the missionary, 
seeing they bring down his disi>leiusurc on them, and they 
<tften pray ipiite naively: "Missionary, I want my sins for- 
given." They do not see that sin stands between them and 
<Jod. It is they who are little affected by the l«>ve of (io«l 
in Christ. < hdy in presence of the world-wide compjwsionate 
love of the Saviour does the heathen Christian understand 



' AvcniRO Cliristiiiiis are ol'tt'U lieard H'^'ufj such excust-n for tlipir ir.oral 
fai:lt». as, "Tlie devil tPiiipti'd me," " I was (loocivid by thr devil." Siioh 
|itt(i|ilp (ill not alwiiy.s Icel sin as a |iersoiial fault, but see in it .sonictbiu^j of 
tlie jiower iif late, ami nf tl.c deniiins, out of whose clutches (Jod alone can 
deliver tlieni. Tho sense of respuni'ibility is still weak, or hiinlly existent. 



TIIK VKTOlllorS FOIM'KS ^)V THK (J ^'Kl, jr.". 

how j^eat \m ;^iilt iim«t U* when Coti IliniMolf must •■iiU*r 
into humanity and «lii', in unlfr to provitle a rcnii'dy. Sin 
never tlimiuietH those wliose inmost w»ul iH not touchvtl by 
tlie love or(i<M). 

The (lehveranee from Satanic |>orter>*, and their renuneia 
ti«»n of the kinti;<loni of darkness, are i-lhrted at onre ; the 
comprehension of (iod's love, iiowever, and the resuitiiiij 
hnowlid^je of their own unworthiness is gradual, inereasinij 
in depth tlirou};hout their wlioh- life. That first deliveranee 
is like the storm in spring time, whieh lireaks with wild v'lee 
the fetU'rs of the iee, and (liases away the snow elouils • the 
Saviour's lov«' for sinful men ■< rather like the sun <>f ■ ii.... 
whose mild rays dis|M'l all winter's traces, wakeniii<4 f .nvf • , 
nnd trt'es from the'r winter's slee|», ami makini; them t<. i ! 
and lilo-^simi. 

What we keep sepanite in our inquiry may he cK ...-.^ 
interlaced in reality. In a few cases here and there, the 
knowled<;e of (iod's love may \h) primary ; in a few if may be 
c<mtemporary witii the ex]>erience of tieliverance. Amon<; the 
working forces of the (iospel are often found (iod's j^entle 
all'.rement, which makes the heathen taste of His prevenient 
f^oodnesM, at another lime hy an earliest warnint; to the 
inditferent or hanleued. No model for heathen conversion 
can he set up. Hut with every psycholoijical variation th»' 
powers opemtive in producinji 'he chanj^e are tliose men 
tioned alxive. However their s|>iritual d)>velo|mient may 
progress, the force of every true life aiiionj; them is Jesus 
the Son <d'<iod, who died on the Cross, revealini; the Divine 
love. It is His love which wins them : His h>\e wliich 
compels the heathen to how to the jud<,'nient of }?ui!t which 
wroufjht His death for us ; His love whieh «anses ttiem to 
seek cleansiuL' for their sin; His love which coiKpicrH their 
seltishness and impels them, pardoned children of (Jod, to 
l)ej<in a new life, whose s;«nesis and develoj)ment is u 
mimcle, whieh nothin<^ but the power <»f (iod in .Icsuh 
(■ould uceoni|)lisli. 

No heathen Christian «hiid)tH that the miijlity .lesiis at 
work in tlieni is »io»l. Considering the j^reat j^ilts he luw 



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266 THK LIVIX(J KORCKS OF THK (JOSPKL 

rccpivcd, auil is constantly ri'ccivinjj, from .lesiis, lie fcelH the 
(livinity of tlie (Jiver to Ite self-i'vidont. The fircatcr the 
yoo«l, whicli any one knowH liinisolf to receive from JesiiR 
Christ, the greater must lie think Mini to be. 

The relation of the heathen Christian to (I(m1 atlvances by 
staj^es. The first stii^e is the removal of the wall of 
separation, the cessation of all intenonrse with the devilish 
powers, an«l the entrance into a childlike, trustful relation 
with the livinf» (i(Ml. The second stas^e is iK'ing apprehended 
by the love of (iod, a surrender to that love, and in the 
lifjht of it a knowledf^e of sin. and a loiif^in^ for fori^ive- 
ness. The third staj^e is moral renewal, the maintenance 
of the sjood gained tliroufjh constant warfare against sin. 
Each accpiisition may, in its turn, be lost. The inviolable 
laws of {growth are that he retrojjrailes who stantis still, 
who does not stren<;thcn by conflict what he has i^ained. 
If the filial relation to (iod is not maintained a<;ainst ever- 
active sin, if it is not «laily renewed by repentance and 
prayer for forj^iveness, this fellowship is lost, and the man 
may fall back into heathenism and its bondage. Such back- 
siitlers need not lie hypocrites; they have simply failed to 
keep what they received. Many in the heathen world fjladly 
welcome Jesus iis Deliverer and Uedeemer from the bondage 
of fear ami ileuth who have not the enerjjy to enter into the 
conflict with sin. Ihey rejoice in thi- ^H't ; they know how 
to prize it ; but they shrink from the duty connected with it. 

The new religious relation which must work itself out 
thrttuirh the life begins then on this first stage. The heathtu 
Christian is a servant of (iod, and has to learn from llini 
what to d(t and whi't to forbear doing. At this stage the 
convert scarcely feels his sin as sin, i>ut he is ready to 
aban<h>n anyt'iing in the former custom which (j!o<1 f(»rl>idH. 
To all heathen Christians at this stage the commandments 
hare the educative signilieance they had to the people of 
Israel. Mural work is of the law ; it is done by constraint. 
A true moral life can only be developed in them oa the 
basis of that new relation to (Jod which ojiens tliei.' eyes 



TIIK VKTOHIOIS FOHCKS OF TIIK «;(>SI'K1- '.»«; 



to their own iin worthiness. Now forres of the (Jospel are 
thereby bron*;ht into tlie arena, forees of moral renewal. 
Here also the (iospel presents it.self as a f^ift, fo; the new 
morality can only he carried out with (iod's help, «>n the 
basis of connnunion with Him, which is a ji\(i of ^race. 
The branch cannot Iwar fruit excej)t it abide in the vine. 
The moral renewal is not felt as a demand but as 
an experience. The New Testament ascribes it to (Jod. 
We have alrea»ly seen that animistic heathenism perverts 
moral values;' it has no fixed moral standards; it even 
sanctions infamies, deduces them from tlie custom, miy, 
declares that some of them have reliijiouH value and are 
wholesome, (ioil is not broujiht into connection with their 
moral code. Its few brifjIitiT features eamuit essentially 
inlluenee the determining power of the immorality. Ani- 
mistic reliijioiisness produces moral coarseness and blind 
self-ri«jhteousne»s. The or^an for morality, and the sense 
of personal responsibility, are destroyed by their fatalism 
and religious communism. 

The heathen heart, as we have seen, is reached not from 
the moral but from the religious side. The beatheu has 
gained a livin;.; relation to (iod and a conviction through 
Christ of his own sinfulness. That is foHowed by a personal 
obligation to a moral transformation for (iod's sake, lie 
has now a thorough religious interest in his own moral 
renewal. To maintain communion with (iod, the highest 
goml which the (Jospel has given him, he must become 
more and more like (Jod. The impidse to a pure life has 
it8 origin in (iod. The new religious life imperatively 
demands a new moral behaviour. Hence moral regenera- 
tion Iteeomes a gift, a creation of (loti, who deems the 
degrade*! heathen worthy of His fellowship. Cleaving to 
Him in the consciousness of his own weakness, the heathen 
C-hristian prays for <livine jMiwers to carry out the moral 
work. The life of prayer is thereby deepened, and inter- 
course with tlie Heavenly Father U'comes more intimate, 
for now he p.'ays not .is at first for deliv«'rance from earthly 

' Set' pp. 12.'. 130. 



26H THK MVIXiJ KOU KS (»F THK ilOSI'KL 



Ml 



iliHtrcHs and for |inM»f« n( tlio Divine power, l>nt more 
intensely iinti with niueli fjreater feeliiiij of need for the 
prcHerviition of spiritual hlcis.xin<fs and f<»r tlic moral powers 
necessary thereto. Thi- interest of his spiritual capital i8 
eomin^ in. lie hath, and it is lieinir added unto him. 

( 'hristian morality is , ot tlie hejrinninji of the spiritual 
revolution; it is not the <roal ; neither does it exist for its 
own sake ; its importanee is as a neeessary nu-ans of niain- 
tainini; eomnii.ini«)n with <iod. it iK-comes ;i religious need 
of the redeemed, not from <;ratitiide, hut from the impulse 
of spiritind self-preservation. A jiodly life is not the 
presupposition of the new relation to (Jod: rather it \h 
its natural residt, whose laek must d«'stroy eonnnunion 
with (Jod, for only the pure in heart see Him. The New 
Testament ein]>hatieally demands that we he like (iod, 
have the mind of Christ, heeome His followi-rs. 'I'lie Itattle 
with sin is fonjjht foriJiMl';- sake. Wheiiee does the young 
Christian nt»w know with aiisolute eertainty that he must 
no longer lie, steal, eovet, or practise fornication ^ K.\- 
v.-rience teaches him that such detilements separate him 
from (Jod. lutercoun^e with (Jod educates the formerly 
perverted conscience. 'I'he more inward the reh'tion tt» 
(J(m1, the more tender and susceptible becomes the con- 
s'rience ; it becomes an origan of the soul for fceliii<j the 
ilisturbunci'H of that relation. These processes in the sold 
of heat'ien Christian oriffinatc- in their new birth, for no 
heathen reli>^iousnes.s knows that the reiation of man to 
(Iod is endan<,'ered by immoral c<induet and is preserved by 
mitral "tfort. 

Moral "growth is slow ; it projLjn'sses not by leaps, but step 
by step. The "grosser heathen abominations certaiidy are 
}jiven up at once, as soon as the heathen know the true (JotI, 
and their animistic view of the world, with its ciroistic con- 
setpicnces, is broken up. The missi(uniry has no need to 
waste a W(»rd on cannibalism, the use of charms, human 
sncritiee, sorcery ; sucli tliin<,'s cejise of themselves aniou<r the 
profe«sin<; Christians. Kven heathen who have oidy come 
into contact with Christianity feel that a lisciple of (JihI 



TIIK VKTulJIOl S KOKCKS OK Till-: (ICJSPKL •_'.!«» 

iiiiiHt no loiijrcT ml), sk'iil, capture slavi's, i-oniiiiit :iiliiUt>ry, 
Hiiiokc npiiiiii, swrur an oatli, <ir iniinlt-r. I>ik>s not tlu* 
ri>li<;i(ins prcac-liin^ n'voal an cnorinons moral powrr when, 
without anv tliri-rt insistoniT on the law or any constraint, 
it u]>ro(its tlioNC al>oniinations of animistic iicatlu-nism !* If 
till' moral coniiuct of heathen < 'liristians leaves much to lie 
desired, let us hear in mind all thev have so freely i;ivcn up. 
Hut yet the heathen Christian, when he iMildly Iturns his 
idols and professes the new faith with i^Iailness of heart, has 
little divination of how variously an<l ritronjily the new powers 
of thetiospel niusi he develojK'd in the inond re<;ion. He 
thinks he is in full iM»ssession of all the new ^jifts of Chris- 
tianity while the work of appi°o|>riation and inward chanije 
is (udy heijuri. In that he is not unlike many vouni; converts 
in ChristiMidoni ; hut (Jod's Spirit, into whose school he Inu* 
voluntarily entered, will '^railually lead him into all truth. 

Consider the tremendous revolution of thou^^ht, will, and 
feelini^ in any converted heathen ! Kvcrythin^ in him is 
cha.i^ed ; it is necessary for him to accommodate himself to 
the new situation, and make it in cvcrythini; the standard of 
his conduct ; he must be in constant conflict with his former 
instincts, with inherited views, with manners and customK 
tleenu'd .sairod. lie tiiids himself in a new world ; his ijodH 
hroken in pieces, and the livinj; (mm! risen upon him, in 
Whose lij^ht he must needs conceive life in all its aspectw. 
No longer may he treat his fellow-man as an enemy, seeking 
to i^MU from him only what protit he can, liul as one redeemol 
and htved of (Jod whom he nnist also love, lie looks svitli 
other ey( s ufion his ehlldren, souls eiitiiisted to him l>v (iod, 
his wife,' his parents, the men of his villaire and triiie, his 
chief, his subjects, hi., enemies. In that way he };rows m the 
knowledge «>f <!od and of the love of .lesus. ami wins them for 
his sure possession. TIiIn love coiniiii,' t(t him as the irreatest 
of ^iftt* chani^es into the hiixhest of cominaiidinents. From 
Jesus' love he learns to love his fellow-men. especiallv his 
fellow believers, with whom he leels himself united bv .1 



' A Ii.i|iliseil Ihiyak ili. i.iic, 
wile liutUi than I (.•unirlv 'U<i 



I IM 



• vr t.(Kl. I 



I'll" my 



i!^ 



I »' 



I" 

m 

i 



27» TMK MVIN(; KOUCKS OF THK COSPKL 

comwon love of Jesus. One of tlic most reln'sliiMir features 
umoiiR all iu'atlieii Cliristiaiis is that they reeo^jiiise ami love 
a« brethren those whom they formerly suspeeted aixl hated 
OH enemies, ami that as a matter of course." Self-retjjircliuR 
duties also present tiieniselves to the younj,' ('hristia?i ; freetl 
from the sway <»f the Devil and the serviee of sin, he feels 
himself now the proiK-rty of Jesus and a temjile of the Moly 
(Jhost. lie thus learns self-respect ami self-dis«-ipline in aim 
nu«l act — tasks ii()vel and stranjje. 

Is it siirprisinsj that the new convert should need a Ion}? 
time to tiiid hin way amid the forest of new improssions and 
new duties 'i or that he should so often stuud)le and <,'(» iwtray ? 
The practice of moral duties is far harder to him than to us 
who have ^rown up amid Christian morality. (>nr need is 
J. simply the will to ..U'v. With the heathen Christian it is 
very ilifferent. lie must learn his mw duties one by one; 
he must Hud a way of oiK'diencc in the U'eth of all his spiritual 
inheritance from his ancest<»rs, the opposition of comrades 
who still think as of old. and often the resistance, bitter and 
hard, of his own family. Thntufifh course of time also the 
joy and excitement of i redemption die down, and then the 
national failinjrs reveal their paralysin-,' power. He manhed 
into the Christian cump of freedom and love with llyiu},' 
banners, never dreaniinjr of the lon<r, weary warfare awaitinj^ 
him. The heathen apply a very strict standard to their 
Christian fellow-countrymen. That proves more clearlv than 
any particular moral acts we could adduce that Christians 
strive very earnestly even from the lMM;innin<,' for moral 
improvement. Their heathen nei<,'hbonrs ♦•xj)ect that Chris- 
tians will not lie, or steal, or scold, or use doubtful 
lan<iuafie. will not stand arrojjantly on their rij,'hts, or be 
irreconcilable, will avoid acts which the heathen do not take 
amiss in one of themselves. If a heathen is deceived by a 
Christian he makes a ^'reat outcry ; that is what a Christian 



' Kctero oiicc saiil to Kaiioli, a coiivfrtcil kadei ..f th.' Inaillaiiilcrs on 
Nias : " You wisli.fl to liiiikc war on my lallur .iinl im , umJ lo-lay »>■ (a,-,- 

.aoli otli.T (vx '.roturrs. Who Ims l.roii-lit tlmt al«mt ! (iod al , who 

willeth Hot the tieiilli of tlu' sinner." 



THK Vl( TORKU S KORCKS OK Till] <;<»SI*KL i371 

must noi (in. lU'iire tin- i^i-iifnil w.ilk of tlic Christian must 
awaken ann>n|Lj tin- lii-atlion tlu" Itt-ni'lifi'nt iniprfssion of a 
iii<;)i niorality. 

I TIie <lt't-isive fnot Air tlii' ilfVfl<niMHMit uf the ucw niuralL^' 1 
iw tVt JeauH liave the ccutntTttEiCt.' iu tiicTiEruf jjic uuni^ V 
I liriMtuui. All wild liaveTKH'o'nie rTirrstiaii for other reasons, J 
to whoni'.lesus as llie self-revelation of (Jod, tlie Deliverer 
and Inipei'soiiator of (itHl's love, has not luroine a living 
possi ssion, will either make shipwreek in the duties of the new 
life, or will remain their lifetime in the havltour. liut he who 
^ives himselr up to .lesiKs' <;uidaiuT will he led l>y llini into 
the duties of m(»rality, and will he endowed with strenj^th for 
their fultilnient. His faith, at first a mere assent to what he 
has lieanl, then a ehihilike eontidenee based on what he has 
experieneed, will now l)e eomplete«l ir oltedienee. .Iesu«. to 
whom he owes everything, l)eet)ines the hijjihest anihority, 
whom he oheyH in all things ; Jesus' word heeomes hin 
supreme law. Heathen Christian eonununities fre(|ueiitly 
exhihit this cd)edienee in a way that puts im to shame, 
lieeause .lesus prohibited ilivoree the Christian retains IiIh 
childless wife, thou<;h suffering severely from the want of 
children and thoni^h his heathen relations, who cannot under- 
stand such conduct, ur;:e him to divorce her. iiecaiise .lesus 
retiuircs us to forj^ive our enemies, the cantlidate for baptism 
^oett tn his deadly enemy, a man who perhaps has slain his 
son, and f^ives him the hand of forgiveness.' He who for- 

' A wiiman wa» .iliout to I" liii|iti.s<ii in U.ili;;r (S\iiiiatr.i'i. In Ilic randi 
dftti's' class aliii!;; with lui was a clii'.l wlmha^l fmintily >laiii Iut liiisliand, 
anii who now lrt'H(in),'lil Ainaii'la, lirluri' lifinj; lia]itisi'il, to >,'ivc him \ivi hanil 
in liikiii 1)1' liiixivinoss. She ritnanl. -ayiii;;, " 1 havi- in my hi-.iil I iij^iviTi 
all, liiit to |int my hand in the hand which nh w my hn^liand is Ion n.uch fm 
nic.'" Thill she maslcnil In i>rir, and, ihon^jli licnddinj; from head to loot, 
shr plai'cd her hand in that id the chid as a token ol eoni|ili'tc rt'coniiliation. 
In New Zealand the Lord > Snppci «:i> l.i in^; c.lilir.ttid. The tirst rank 
liavin)^ knelt, a native iom- u\< ami ielniiied to his seat, hut a>;ain ri'tunicd 
to the rank and knelt down, lli iii;; i|iiestionei|, hu said, '■ When I wuiit to 

the tahlc I ilid not know wh 1 wonld have to kneel hesiilc. when ■^nddcidy 

I saw hy my sidK the man who, a tew years herore. sluw my lather and drank 
his hloiid, and whom 1 then devoted to death. lina;,nnc what i hit when 1 
suddenly lonnd him hy my side. A ni.sh ol feeling came over me that 
1 could nut endure, and 1 went hack to my seat, lint when I ji'it there I saw 






' I! 



272 TIIK IJVIN(J KOKCKS OK TIIK <;()SI'KL 

nn'rly stole, volimtjirily n'storcs to tlu' iiijiirod piirty the 
Htulfii f;oo(I^s. 'riic y<iiitl( rciiiitiiis stnulfa.st .litaiiist tlif 
ontiiH'iiu'iits to umliastity. Tlii'se are ail cxincHHions of 
tlie IH'W olitMlioiict' wliicii wi- liavc ofti-ii serii aiiioii<; the 
Huttak.s aiitl Niassors, and whicli \\v tiiiil a<;aiii uiitl a^aiii 
attiwtcd ill all mission records. 

Ad«l to that, ill the second place, the motive of ^rratitiide 
to the Hedecmer who loves us so infinitely. 'I'lie heathen 
knows nothiii;? ofVratilnde. Hut the jjreat Ljil't has eiilai>,'e«l 
his heart, (iratitiule to tiie Saviour, whom he has learnt to 
love, leads the heathen Christian to endure reproach and 
perseentioii. (irntitiide impelH him to l)econie a voluntary 
evaii<;elist to his heatlien countrymen ; we come across this 
in most heathen ("hristian churches. The voluntary testi- 
mony of a heathen ("hristian of what he has experienced is 
a direct test of tlie u'cimineness of his conversion. This 
impulse to evaiijjjelisation was very lively amon^ the tirHt 
Christians in the Hattak mission. The first convertH in 
Silindiiii},' were zealous missionaries. l'il<,'rain, the missionary 
in Ualijic (Toha), testified that his first pupils heeanie 
missionaries to their parents and relations. ,\t a later period 
we fiiiil the missionary /.eal of the elders of that place extolled. 
One of them said : " 1 have not slept a whole nif^lit for weeks. 
We speak with the |K)oplc almost every nitrht till tw«-lve 
o'clock, and should i>e, if it were possil)le, in four or five places 
at the same time. Kven chiefs from Si (Jaol and Samosir (on 
the other side of tlie Toha Sea) invited us to preach in their 
houses." It was owin<; to the evaiii^clisinij impulse of the 
Uattak Christians that the (lospel spread so (|uickly and in 
such a healthy way in Suniatm. The Hattak ( 'iiiircli has even 
formed a missionary society which carries on almost iiide 
pendently mission work anions; its heathen countrymen, and 
has now sent forth two native preachers and several teaehens 
and evaiiir<''ist.s whom it supports. 

tlir uppci siiu.'liiHiy iii'l till' „'i(;it sii|i|>«r, ami llniiijlit I litNird a voire siijni;;, 
' By this >hiill ;ill men kiiuw lli.it ye me my diseiples, if yc love one iin.itlier.' 
Tlnil overi'owereii me, i »at ilown, aiel at once seetne'l to xc anotlier xiiion 
of a eros.s witli a man naileii lo it, and I lieard Ilini say : ' Katlier, I'oigive 
tlieni, lor tliry know not wliat they do' — then 1 reluriied to the altar." 



TiiK VFCToiuoi's RmcKs ()V Till-; t;os!»i:i, ltm 



Till" niissidii ill N'ias I'xpcriciH-nl a siidili'ii fawtli wlicii 
the lieiithi'ii ("liristiaiis lH'<,'aii to ivanj^i'lisc. Men liki> Im'Uto 
ami SohiLjo, already iiu'iitiinu-d, are «vaii;,'elists l>v ImmI's 
fjniee. Their zeal siureefled in oiieiiinj,' up the wliole west 
of Ninw. t()},'ether with the ishiiul of Nakko. and in pnuiiriiijj 
an eiitranej- for the (lospel ainoni^ tlie iiotitrioiis heaii-hiinterN 
there. Tliis missionarv zeal of tlieirs is sonuwliat <lisc<in- 
eertiii;;. Thev drop tlieir work, leave their families for 
weeks, expose themselves to the jjreatest danjiers, williip^ly 
sulimit to moekery and derision, endure hiiiijirr. hi-at, and 
weariness, without seekiui^ any reward. .\nd <;od has 
erowned their uiisellish l.-i'oours with a Hpeeial iilessiii}:. 

Xewly eonverted heathen Christians in Miiiahassa lieeame 
zealous helpers in spreadin'j; the (Jospel, they vij^oroiisly 
supported the mission in their homeland and el: ■> Iiere: the 
eomiiiunity at Man<j:anitu sent an evani^elist to iaiaiir; the 
same thiiij; took plaee at .\ml>on. Mission sneieties have 
heen formed on (Vrain, whieh partly seek out independent 
fields of laltoiir anions their heathen eoiintrymeii, partly .sup 
port mission work with tiioir eoiitrihntions. When the 
Duma e<iiiimunity on ilaliualiera l>ei.'an to evangelise amoiii; 
the iieathen, its own Christian life w.is seen to ".'et a new 
impulse. We had the same joyous experieiuc in the liattak 
Christian eommunities. Wherever mission work is zealously 
carrieil on, it atlvanees the spiritual life of the eommunity 
eii^jfaijed in it. The baptised Hereto dilii:eiitly earry on 
mission work amonj^ their people. The first eonvert of 
Ovamho. .Xhraham. felt impelleil to proelaim Cod's Word 
iineeasiiiiily to his people. Inknown people often appeared 
at «»ur serviees, ,iiid when they were asked who first spoke 
(lod's Word to them, the iinariaMe answer \\ is .Vhraiiam. 
Heehler boasts of tlie missionary talent of all South .\frieau 
Christians, iiiehter, likewise, of the missioiiaiv zeal of the 
Ci»ii!Xo negroes. 

" \ specially outstaiidiiiL; <!iaraeteristie of the .Madajjasear 

Christians from the iK'^iiiiiin!,' was their missionarv talent. 

whieh made them e.irry tlie L;l:id iiiessa;,'e of Christ the 

Saviour of sinners to tl.eir hiatheii couiifrvmen. \'ery 

s 






I :: 



274 THK MVIMJ R)R('KS OF THK (iOSPKL 

many of tlioin are prcaclicrs, voluntary ovaiijjo'ist!*, and the 
carncstncsrt of sonii' of tlieni would |>ut to t«lianu> many in 
Kn^lund. Tlu-y f^o forth in the Ituniini; sun for tivc or 
Hix lioiirM, with one sole i>nr|>o.s(' to proclaim Chrint, and 
almost without any earthly reward. Here is a carpenter in 
the service of the f^overninent, who works in Andtohiniare, 
three full houi-s from the caitifal. He leaves his post on 
Saturday afternoon and travels from six to seven hours in 
order to preach on Sunday in some villa<^es aliout four hours 
south from Antananarivo ; when tlie service is over he sfjirts 
Innneward and takes up his work a<;ain on Monday niornin;;. 
Many are animated l»y such zeal in prcachiuL; the (iospel. 
Miescher testities : " iieferrini; to the «|Ucstion altout the 
reality of conversions, we en •■nniter fre(|ueiitly a rcmarkalile 
joyoiisnesH of testimony. ..>' i'a<;enu'ss to convert others, 
similar to what we see ii. i; lu'wiy-eonverted annmsi our- 
selves. Ordy the testimony of the heathen ChristianH has, 
|M'rhaps, more than am-ini;; us, a wonderful directness." lie 
mentions as one example anumtj; many the extensive mission- 
ary activity of ilie .\rnerican nejjro churches. The /ealous 
missionary work of the ( 'hristiiwiiscd islanders of Oceania is 
well known. The commuuiticH of the Karens in l{an<;oon 
have he<j;nn to send <»ut native preachers anionic their heatlie:i 
countrymen, aye. as far off ils Siam. The missionary zeal of 
the Santal Christians is celehrate<l ; they extol the (Jospel 
i,'ift to their countrymen with the invitjition : "("(mie! we 
have found somethiuf,' ^kkI." The Christians of the I'res- 
hyterian Mission on Komiosa have already their own 
missionary society. The evanRelisinu of Korea is carried on 
(ihielly hy the inis-sionary zeal of native Christians. 'A 
colporteur with his haj; of books has ifone throuifh a pro- 
vince and has sold, taui,dit, explained ; a peasant has hear«l 
a Hcrnion in the city or a market towti, or has received the 
•jjift of a tract : a sick jterson has visiteil a mission dispcnsarv 
or hospital ami carries away meiiicine for the sick soul ; 
a Christian pedlar amoni,' his otlu-r wares has some Christian 
writin<i;s for sale, and passes the eveninu; in readin-.' anil 
explainin<; them to the listeuiny peasants ; a Christian of 



THK VKTOFtlors KOHCKS ')F Till: <;oS|»KL .7:, 

his (iwn froi' will ^ovh into a lioatlieii villuj;,. (•• carry tliitluT 
the jclail iin>s.sai,'i' ; a lu'lii-viiifr family move into a linitlion 
ndfflibourhood and lot tlu'ir liyht .shine. ' The real power 
of propau'ainia lies in the eommiinity. Many < hristiann liave 
liound them.velveH to set apart a day, or a week, or a niontli, 
for preadiinj,' the (;<»spel in Uie snrronndin-,' iieathen distriet.' 
.lesns also JM-eomes a partem to the heathen Christians 
who are in nnion with llim. That, no donlit, implies a 
lii^her stau'e of ( 'hristia.i life than many of them have 
attained. The -reat majority of Christians in the Indian 
Areliipela<jo look to the ehlers atxl teaehersof the eommnnitv 
ii.s examples, and they in tnrn to the missionary. Whatever 
they see these do the.\ try to imitate. < K-casionally m.- hear 
such .sayin'.is as these: "If the teaeher d.u's not" take the 
truth seriimsly, I need not d(» so. " "The elder is livint,' in 
.strife with an opponent, therefore we need not make it np. ' 
We eannot jiresent the pietnre of .le.sus to onr li;>athen 
(JhristiiiMs in tin- .-.'me way and »vith the same rcsnits as 
I'anI in U>> epistles. The iiiiman side of Jesus person seems 
Ut have iiltle attraction for the yonn;; iieathen Christians. 
in llim they see (iod, <ihey a!id serve llim as sneh ; Mis 
Iiunian perfeeti(»n seems to them tiM> far aliove ours. |{nt 
He lieeomes a ftattern to those wiio cnitivate a more lamih.Mr 
intereonrse with llim,-' Mis love, and not least His !,,ve for 
Mis eiK t.iies. tou<hes their hearts, luid implants the !.'<M?ns of 
similar emnlioiis. I'heir moral eonduct is directed l>v .lesns 
a.s far .IS tiieir relii^'ions life is rooti'd in Mini, fur v.hoever 
has real (•onimiinioii with llim feels it necessary to he like 
minded with Mini. 

' \V!„.:v;»s it is sai.l ..f .li|.an ; "It is :iij .iliiiM'^t iniiv.'i-s.il i .,iii|.|.iiiil in 
•Iipait tl..'it llir Cliiisli.iii liity liu.- litll- liiMi-.. f,.r .i^'i^ti'smw .■v.niirrlisli,- 

work." Thuf is rii'.-iiilnii.'il ji, d,,. mi-slon 11,1.1, atiil not i ;,' I sj^mi I.h- !li<. 

liCi- iif l!ii- yoiiiii; < 'Ininh. 

- It 1- s,iiil III till' NiasiiT I'la.T.i; ■•[n I'.nirv,. ,,( tini-' Hi- ri-,ioi.-i| .in,i 
lliiinkiil (liiil tli.il tlir wat.liwinil of liis lil,< nmrr :u.il riioi,. i-.i,;,,. |„ |.,. . 
1 ir «.nili|.l.sus(lo ' .l.siis WIS ami is liis only .i^niili.. Wlirn Ih.'vl K.'tiT.i 
.\nt] ii llim. I »)„ ■ 1,1 visit.'.l .Sinn^itr.i to v,... (1„. Chnstiaii irirnniiinity tli.i,- 
visitp.1 hroihi-r Hviue jit liis st-tion. in lliat i.'t;inn where llin.- is still iliil', 
v.ai .-'iii St ri IV. .mil -;i« him- [Jrit/ ■■ w.is so nnirn t il;.'ii ii] Hilli rontrntions. 
IVt.Mj sai.l s.-iillv : I'n.i (,n:is|..| ). \ ■miM .I,.sus li.ivi- i|. lliat'" 



.i L 

fil 



ill 



PAi 



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2r«; TIIK MVIN<; FOHCKS OF TIIK ^iOSlMJ. 

lioatliiMi CliristiaiiM arc toM titat Jcsii!* will foiiu- aijiiin lit 
tlie hiHt (laT to \\\i\\iv tlio liviii!» anil the (lend. Thf CHcliatu- 
l«>};ical outlook had threat ri'suits in the early church ; it inaken 
little iniprcHHion on any heathen ChriHtians I have known. 
The reason may i»e that njany pn-ai-liers are thcinnelves little 
alf'ecteil liy it, and so eniphasisf more vividly other elements 
of their mesMa^'e. Itiit the deepest reason prohahly is that 
the jrreatness ot the «ift they have receiveil makes them calm 
in prosiK'ct of the jiidirnient of the world : .Icsuh has done 
such },'rcat tliiiijjs for nie, can lie condemn me in the judj,'- 
mcnt < The simple childlike trust in tlie stroii<; Saviour 
hardly allows fear of the tinal jud;,'ment. Dyinj; Christians 
«o to their Saviour with },'reat joyfulness : sure of Mis friend- 
ship, they have no anxiety aliont the imlu'iiicnt. 

The experience of innX-i power ;iml love removes tw<» 
j^'rciit hindrances wliich choke alt iiuTal effort anioui; the 
licathen, vi/ , dcicrminisin and conimiinism. |{«-li(t in the 
living' «;od, w1m.sc power hius ; im n felt l»y tl-c rhristian, 
shatters ln-licf in an imcliaiiL" Me destiny. The voiini,' 
Christian knows that his lot is al all times in (mkI's hand, and 
that Ile^an chaiiv'c it a^ lie wills. He has learned that iii 
prayer, lie is lirnii^dit to see also that his i,'ood or evil 
deeds are not fiire-t>rdained but depend upon himself The 
fcelin«; jiiows that In is responsilile to (iod for his thoii^dit^ 
and actions. That renders possiliii- a full moral frrowth. 
The leathcn says : I cannot change myself, for I was thus 
created. The Christian who has still t-) fi<,'lit in his own 
hrea.^t with isis inltoni modi- (tf t!i mj^ht ' ci)ines lo under- 
stand that he is responsilile for his acts. The death of 
Christ opens hi, eyes to his squill: he finds that he can 
fi^'ht sU'( c^-f'iijv ill t! •■ .•>trcn«,'th of his Saviour a>,'ainst his 
fault-. Th(' f.irther in' advances in oliedience the more tiie 
root, (if heathen fatiiii-in are t trii from his heart. 

' 1' 1- nii|...>>il.l.' tliiil -IM li 11 notion lixiil in tliv -..ii| ot llir |..o|.|, ,|ioiil.| 
vjiMi.sh !■ .Ill 111.- !j. .Ill all Ml .iHi'. \\t' II, .'.t iil.iiii.l.iiii |iii,-,-< ..I ji ,1111. lilt; 
t'liii-diai-'. (Ill,- ..| ..iir l!.i!l..k Mini: iriNls in n trial sitiiioh iiii,| ; ri,,.],. :,ic 
fliKr kiii.N ..r MilliiiiiL- 111..".' wiiiili CmI siM.U to |.iinlv us, tlun |..'iiii| 
Hiil!iiiii(;>i. 1111.1 lastly l.ii.. M*iiy a liizy ( 'liri.stniii iv |,,n,i ot api-alii," '., 
till- .In isjoiM of 'ill- a^ an . i. ui. loi In-, moial .Irl'i-ils. 



TIIK VKToHlni s KoKCKS up I UK <;nsi'KI, j;; 



.K'siiK r«'inuvi'!» uIho tin- M'tniMl ol Kit nut ion to moral lift*, 
tliai IVrliii^ of Holi(larit\ whiili ilfprivi-s the imiivhliial of 
jiiil^iiu'iit and <l(>('i>ion in moral ami rt'lii;iouH niatU>rs. 
Conturt witli the livinu <MMlaiiil i'\|KTicmf of lii> lovj- in 
Christ ti-aclii's tli»' licallH-ii ('liri>tian to frcl himself a |M-rson, 
an imiiviilnal prtrions in (hmI's si^jht. A inrsonnl rrli;;iouH 
life |iro<|iicts a piTsonal moral liff. nihcrs mav think an<i 
ml a> tlifv plfaHt', tlir ( 'hrii^tian kmiv\> his own wortli anti 
hiH wav. In tinilin<^ a |iositiou lowanis 4mm| his soul 
U'conn's III liini som<-tliiii<; cnliri'ly ilitfcnnt from what it 
Wiw when III' was an Animi>t. This roiisinu of tlif hml of 
nu'ii to a iKTstiiial lifi- is oiii- of tin- ^icat M-rvitcs of 
i'hristianitv to aiiiniistii- |K'o|ih's. Ami the st'iist- of |K-rsoii- 
nlity j;rows in proportion to tlu-ir ftllowship with .Ifsns. In 
mission tiohls when- j^irat masses turn towards Christianity, 
many eonie through the inlieiitetl eomniunistie impulse of 
having to do what the others do.' lint when these appear 
for iustriK-tion, with a view to hiiptism. they nmleru'o, if at 
all siisaptihie, i.iid if they do m.t turn l»aek in disappoint- 

' III till- lUlliik llli^•^i•lll wp I'lti II L.'i 1 till- minMir to tin- .|iii''.li..ii «liv tli.y 

Hisli lu !.•■ (liri^ii.iiis ■• rMi',iiisc iilhirs lia\r I oiii.' C'l: i.^liaiis.' \\ C were 

toll! lij- ihii'fs •>! .1 liraili.h |iii.viii>-i' llnl \|..|i iiiiiiirl.iii, h.-i^l ciiiif ti> |«'riiii.nli' 
tliini to nii|>t I>l.iiii. Iliit lli.y li.i.i ,iii»wt iimI : " W I' an- j;iiilij; l.i In- 
Christiiiris, for •mi IritH-snun m Silimlmi^ havi' lire im' ( 'hnstiaiiH. "' Tti.it \-> 
similar to u liat t<H>k |<l.ki'i> in iiicili < \iil miNniuiin : ii'li;,'iuii aii>l . Iiaii^'i- >! 
H'lij,'iiiii are liflrl to !«• inaitii* Im O,. \\\„,\r |k'(p|i!.- wlnrciii tiny must ait a- 

lar a.s |insMlili' tnmMlin ,.7. |.. l:iii ll. ). An rain.'st Slianiliala tiai Ii.t 

(ttnmil : " WlicMi I -uiw my luotlni in law hi'ioiiKti;: a Cliristian I lUn I»'riiiM- 
iini, " Tliis iiiml. iif tliiiu(;lil ill CI rl.iiii ririunislan T, drivi > ii, my into llii' 
aiMiH 111 ( 'liiisliaiiity. W f -hoiil't nut turn away IVum sm h |.ri,|.l.> with mural 
imIi ,'11 itioii. Allri a lew |iiiiniris. lien fai iilii -., iinl liiially |.it.\ iiui-. Iiavf 
; ikiii till- Ifail, a way is (i|hik'(1 lor making; tin' new nli^'ion iriiliMi' to tin- 
iiinltitiiilr \'i'. |i. ll.'i, niitr "Jj. Tiny an- Mot of . ohim- lia|>li«i<l on aiimiMt <it 
such ciinimnnistic hovp'tI' nts, whiih, hnwcvi'i, |iri'|iari' tln-m to |ilaii' tlii'm- 
siln's uinlir tilt" divint' ':iPAsaj;r, ami tiny laii he riri-iviil fur inslrnctiuii. 
All lul in this way to Chnstiaiiity -io iml j;'t to tin Ina'l oT it ; that acconis 
with till' .iniMTsal ('X|itp ini' ol I'hr.-l 8 C'liunli tlnil many are imIIimJ hut f.v. 
nri' chosen, ami that not every one who has learmil to say I.or'l, [.old, sliall 
inter into the kinf,'iloiii. Many Inath' n ('liii.--tians \\I. i afterwards attain to 
>;ninine faith wire tirst hioiii;lit to Cjnisti iiiit> hy loi' 'winj; the t\aMi|'le of 
their tellows. Tin" divme (.fiwers of the tlospel ran lake ellert on all who are 
willing! to .oiiie, no mattir what motive caused the hrsl .step \( only they 
allow these powers to %vork. 



11 



Midiocopv nsouniON test chait 

(ANSI and ISO TEST CHART h4o. 2) 



1.0 



1.1 



■ 2.2 

li 



137 
136 



1.25 ill 1.4 



.8 



1.6 



M -APPLIED IIVHGE he 

K; '653 Eas( Main Street 

^a Rochester. New York U609 USA 

S {716) +82 - OJOO - Phone 

S (716) 288- 5989 - fan 



L>rn THK IJVIN(; FOIK'KS OF TIIK (lOSPEIi 



Q 



rnciit, a cliaiif^c of tli*)ii<;Iit. They hcfjiii to feel the iiiii>ort- 
!ince of personal decision. Bnt only th(t.<e who come to 
know .Jesus as the Saviour are yet Hnally free from tlic 
constraint of solidarity ; only they discover that they are 
rcs|)onsible persons, ai>«l tiiat in proportion as Jesus hecomes 
the jiower of their religious life. From this fetter also the 
Son nuikes them free. 

On this basis, the organ for jK^rsonal responsibility having 
been awakened, moral work can now proceed. At first the 
new convert in his imeertaiiity will often have to turn to his 
missionary for directions. Feeling dindy that everything has 
become new. he will ask : May I still drink palm wine ^ may 
I graze my cattle on Sunday * Is it wrong for me to betroth 
my child at an early age? May I defend myself against 
the UHsaults of the heathen ? * lint if he cultivate inter- 
ccturse with (Jod through prayer and reading (»f the liible, 
his conscience will be formed and im[»roved. Advanced 
heathen (.'liristians frecpiently display a moral delicacy which, 
considering their former coarseness, is simply astounding. 
Constant intercourse with (Jod throws light on every circum- 
stance of life, and enables men, even in difficult cases, to 
find the true solution. 

If the apprehensit)n of the love of (lod and the feeling of 
iinworthiness which that awakened was not so much an act 
single an»J complete as the germ of a new life to be slowly 
developed, how slowly and gradually will not the moral 
transformation permeate the whole life ? A great battle 
may In* decidetl in a day, but the driving out of small hostile 
bands from a difficult country abounding in defiles recpiircs 
much [»ersoverancc and hnig ti(ue. Hut the pledge of the 
( Jospi^l's victorious power is the earnestness with which this 
petty warfare is carried on. The moral development may be 
interrupted by falls, for dangers and temptations are very 

' Missionary liti-iatiiii' f,'ivc.s iiiai]" luools nf this toiuliiiiK soiiicli fur iiiw 
directives. iSmiip Kols Iroiu Kiilaiu i:iiiie in ilistress tn tlie niissiona'y. The 
Tliikadar liail made a Clnistiaii viliafjor the Munda, had ]ilaced on iiiin the 
tiirlian aocordiii); to the eiistoni, and eailsed the dr\iin.f to he heatcn. The 
Christians were distressed, and wanted to hear from tlio missionary if they 
had thurohy eommittod a wionj;. 



THK Vl( TOlllorS FOllCKS OF TIIK COSl'KI. Jrn 

iiuiniTOUK. His ox|KTionce of tlie power iind love of tlie 
Kf(leeiner-(;o(l will incline tlie lieatiien Cliristiun to attaeli 
little value to liis own moral clforts, for \ns salvation rests 
entirely on (Jod's tloinfj. Tlie heathen custom will occasion- 
ally tempt him to acts, of the impropriety and tendencies of 
which he is hardly conscious. The tension of the inner life 
will slacken, and he will liecome less circumspect in his walk 
with (J(m1. All that <loes not condemn the heathen Christian 
if he finds his way hack to (lod. 

The judf^ment of spectators of missions who acMuee the 
lapses of hciithen Cliristians as evidence that mission work is 
ineffective, and that the baptised are one and all hyp. -rites, 
is utterly unfair. Can the European traveller really expect 
to find perfect Christians in these youn-? comnumities V 
Frequently it is to temptations hroujiht by the white man 
himself that these youuf; heathen converts isuccumb : but, 
apart from that, we should remember Ih»w iinmuture they are, 
and that moral projjress with them as with us is a series of 
falls and recoveries. To put it in the figure of a Hattak 
teacher: the moral pro<;;ress of the Christian is like the wheel 
of a waj^gon which is sometimes up, sometimes down, some- 
times i!i the mire, sometimes on the clean street, l)ut always 
advancinf?.' Comi)ared with what they were, heathen 
Christians have underjione a profound ehanjie. One sin only 
must be differently assessed, relapse into heathenism, lor that 
means not a moral lapse but a conscious denial of the true 
(hmI. and a resolute breakim; away from His conuunnion. 
This sin is therefore in every mission church visited with the 
severest discipline, with the complete moral assent of the 
younji comnuuiity. 

The earnest efforts of heatiien Christians to live a (iod- 
pleasini? life are tried severely in the stiui^i^le which thty 
carry on aijainst the (lepra veil national cnstoMis and the 
traditional national vices. Few critics '>f foreijin missions 
HufHciently appreciate the severity oi this strui,'<,'le. They 

' Ziiupiiilorl' waiiuil his iiLixsicuiaiii'S ii.it to ■\pt, . too imii li froiii llic 
y.iuiij; lii'atliflii Clinstuiiis : " l»ii not nuimiie souls with tlie Moravian jaril 
stick." 



I 



2m THE I.IVIN(J F0H("K8 OF TIIK «iOSI»KL 

must porpctiiiillv reckon witli tho national cu.stonis, and adapt 
tlicir ways over aj^ainst tlioni, and tliat produces a constant 
feelinj; of strain and niucli lieat l)etween both jjartics. Tl>e 
moral conflict, ditlicult in itself, is ajjjiravated by the powerful 
hostility of the "juardians of the custom, and by the hatred of 
the i)eopIe. Hut the h< 'then Christians inwardly renewed 
by Christianity fearlessly >tand up to their opponents, liikc 
all members of the .Malay race the Hattaks are by nature 
untruthfid, insincere and cunnin<;. The Christians anionjr 
them arc not of course idisolutely reliable and truthful from 
till moment of their baptism ; missionaries have abundant 
cause to bewail the lies of their converts, lint they recognise 
their faults and fi<^ht ajjainst them ; they become ashamed of 
lying.^ Often they prevail over themselves to speak the 
truth, and they confess a lie voluntarily even when by so 
doing they involve themselves in injury and ])unishment. 
The liattak is by nature lazy ; the Christians amon«r them are 
everywhere diligent. Naturally timid, they become brave 
through thoir confidence in (Jod. Little things betray the 
moral progress clearly enough. There are individuals in 
advance of the mass. We have IJattak Christians whose 
word can be absolutely trusted. These are examples to the 
community, and are highly esteemed by t' ' heathen. We 
are told of the Niasscrs : " Former vices such as drinking 
palm wine, cursing, lying, dishonesty, are more and more 
recognised to be vices and given up." Xottrott enlarges on 
the moral condition of the Kols communities, and declares 
that, in spite of many defects, great things have been accom- 
plished, and that Christians get the better of their national 
<lefects. It would take volumes to enumerate how through 
(Jod's grace the Alfurus, the Ambonose, the inhabitants of 
the South Seas, the liasutos, the KaHirs of South Africa, the 
Baganda in East Africa, the iidiabitants of Madagascar, the 



' The Moliamiiiedans in Sumatra put more trust in Christians than in 
their fellow lielievirs. A Mohanininiaii siiiil : "If I lend ninney to a 
Molianiniedan, witnesses must lie luesent : in the case of a Christian that is 
not necessary. The heathen in South Afriia know that baptised hlack 
women do not lie nor deceive. 



THK VKTOKKH'S F(»|{("i:s (>r TllK COSl'KL jyi 



Karens, i-tr., Iiavo licnniir lunv iiicii. It is suUit-ieiit lu-n' to 
state tliat the appropiiatioii nf the ^'(mmI iiiessaj,'e is re<;tihiilv 
fdlhiwed \>\ moral renewal. 

We cannot rati- too !iii,'hl.v the nol.le stru-iu'le aj.'ainst the 
nati«»Mal enstoni, lor that enstoni is "not a mere ron^rlonurale 
of un^roun(h«l and incoherent details, Imt the inevitalile 
result of a host of faetors internal and external." " Their 
moral life is never a na-re eonlliel with sin in their own heart ; 
it is a strn^i,'le at the same time witii views and habits 
imhihed from ehildhood, with heathen surroundiniis in their 
own family and relations, in the trihe, and in the nation. 
This strn<,'«rle is inteiisilied in two ways: (1) This national 
custom has jj;rown out of the spiritual soil in which the younjj 
Christian is himself rooted ; to nei^dect it, to oppose it. is like 
uprootinjj; himself from the soil where his life }j;rew. (2) 
These eu-toms are so inextricably interwoven and inter- 
related with his whole manner of life from childhood that 
uu)ral dilliculties arise peculiar to his state, and felt oidy by 
such as he, which no foreijj;ner can fairly appreciate. ' To 
speak the truth, to be honest, is, in the opinion of the Katlir, 
to be ridicuhms, a stupid b()oi)y. Any one who lives soberly 
and chastely <loes not come up to the ideal of manliness. It 
is easy to see that the ethical denninds of Christianity are 
very hard to carry out in the face of this oppressive national 
custom. 

The Christian Church, the new connnunity into which he 
has entered, helps the youiii,' Christian in this conliict. It 
gives a home to those detacheil from their nationality ; it 
instruii^ them ; ii discii)lines them, not to judj^'e and enslave 
them, but to support their stunddini; steps back to the right 
way. The community must not be afraid to set up in the 
interests of Christian education commandments and laws 
which, like tiiiger-posts or notice-boards, make it easier for 
the young Christian to tind his whereabouts.* Such things 



I 



H 



' "It is very important tliat tlic loinmaiKliiu'iit 1)p nt,'litly fxplrtiiitii to 
tlir catochunieii.s, and tlic ooiitonts ol' tlio moral law urjjtntly set hvUitv tlu'in ; 
the law must bf to tlicni a schooliuaiitir, all tli" more that hitherto they 
have liveii as they liiteil." 



282 TIIK LIVIN(5 FOUCKS OF THE (lOSPKL 

arc iiHcfiil not to the wcuk inenihcrs of the coininuiiity only ; 
the advaneed Christians are (grateful when hucIi distinct fenecB 
are erected, and thej constantly ask for them. We all know 
from our own experience that one of the most important 
factors ' \ the Christian education of men to moral indcpc - 
dence is the habit of doinjj frood. We should over-estimate 
the maturity of the young Cliristian were we not to support 
him in the j^ood by a control of his conduct somewhat legal, 
strengthening him in this conHict. Such disciplinary acta 
and laws cannot, and must not, be used to replace theii own 
moral life ; however they help to protect the budding plant ; 
they prop it up amid lifcs storms. But above all, the 
Church strengthens and fosters the religious life of its young 
mend)ers, by teaching them the Word of God in sermons, 
liible readings, and hours of prayer, by putting into their 
hands the Bible and other Christian books. The stronger 
their religious life grows, the more zealous Bible readers they 
become. They search the Scriptures with a quickened under- 
standing, and find in them forces of moral and religious life. 
Bible reading is •,: necessity to every better heathen Christian. 
Wherever that is lacking, religious growth and moral develop- 
ment are alike in a backward state. 

It is instructive to observe what special moral excellences 
pertain to the young heathen Christians. Xot always, 
certainly, but very froiiuently we meet with sincere gratitude 
t(. the messenger of the Cospel for the Divine gifts. Many 
a missionary at his departure, or on bis death-bed, ha.>* seen 
tears of gratitude How from his coloured converts. The 
Niasser Fetero said witii tears at the dei)artm-e of the 
missionary Lett : " If I had t«) bid farewell to my father it 
would not be so bad as ttt pint from yon; for he gave me 
only bodily life, but you brought us (iod's Word, the eternal 
life for our souls." Another Christian wrote to him : " My 
heart ever thinks of li'.w comj)assionate you were that night 
we were so sudderdy taken ill, running here and there to 
get medicine."' * Many Battak Christians are heartily grateful 

' Meri'iisky says of the comiiiunity in BajiedilaiKi : "Strict aliatntiiiinii'iit 
of lieathi-iiism, waUhcd liy the whole eommuuity of Cliristiaiis ami eatechu- 



THK VKTOUlorS FOUCKS OV TIIK COSPKI. '2H:\ 



to tlieir spiritual fatlior«. an«l iiiaiiy would jjivo tlicir livi»« 
for the nii.ssionary. Suoii j^ratitudr, no usual feature in the 
heathen character, is easily untlersiood when we l»ear in 
mind tliat it was the niessenu'er's lovin<]j-kiinlniss which firwt 
made an inipresHion on tlieir hearts, and that it w;<s throuj^h 
his mediation that they received all spiritual and many 
earthly hlessini^s. 

Further, the heathen Christians, thou<rh certainly not all, 
arc celebrated for their liberality. " Liberality is no character 
istic of the heathen or of the Mohammedans t»f the Indian 
Archipehifjo ; aiul when we hear of the cheerful and hearty 
givinf? of the Christians in Minahassa we infe~ that the 
(Jospel has had a j^reat inHnence on them." The ji;lad givinp 
of the few Christians in Duma an«l Dutch New (iuineu is 
enii)ha8ised. The Hattak church jjives a comparatively 
larj^e sum for church pjirposes, buildinji of churches and 
schools, support of tciichers and preaeheis, as well as for the 
mission, and <j;ives it willin<;ly. In the year 1907 it {^avc 
tlie sunj of £4.'{">(>. The 1? tsehuana Christians of the 
HerinannsbHr<? Mission, who ..re still sutferinsif from the 
after-throes of the Boer war, subscribed ,£.{.'» for the starvinj? 
Christians in India. A deli<j;htful example of fjlad f;ivin<,' is 
reported in the IJarmer Missionary l{econl from Otjim- 
bingwe : to meet the deficit of the missionary .society the 
mountiiin Damra, the li;;.,t .;«!« and tiie llerero, at a recent 
mission festival, broufj;ht tl."»(>, of which only C;{.'» came from 
the Kuropeans of the place, an a.stonishini; performance for 
people who have not yet rec«)vered from the conse(|uences 
of the war.i 

The love of testifyin<]j is very lively everywhere amonj; 
heathen Christians, yourijj; ami old. Themselves set free 
from the bonds of demon worship, they wouhl like to have 

mens ; loiif,'iii^' tor Clirist and llir s.ilvutiuii that II,' liioii^lit twiirfssed in 
constant [navcr and lniiij;i'r lor tlio Divine Word ; love for tliose who Imd I'onnd 
the narrow ly ; and lov<', liii.st, f,'ratit\idc to u» inis-sionarie.-) whicli often 
found touching; ex|ire.ssion ; — these were the gifts of graee which (icd eonferred 
on uot a few of this awakened iieojde." 

• Harnior. Missionshl., 1907, \i. ti? f. Many ehurc hes iu Sumatra have also 
eonlribuled cousidarable L'ift^ .• meet tlie delicit. 



H, 



- 'i ^ 

I J i! 



irh! 



JJU TIIK UVIXC FORCKS OV THK (iOSI'KL 

all the ciislavoil sot fn'o. All who have known the trne 
<Jo<l, and experienec*! His love, eannot hut testify of all tbey 
have seen and hennl. Hut we have already spoken of tliis 
missionary instinct of heathen Christians,' 

We also meet with the sense of kinship, the brotherly love 
of younji; Christians, h'ellow believers soon learn to hiok on 
one am>ther :'s brethren. Aceordinj.; to heathen notions, 
nothini; but the tie of blood ran form a brotherly union ; the 
new faith in the one (Jod and Redeemer creates a fellowship 
which is more cordially and Joyiully cultivated than those 
tics of kindred. Christians are one jjreat family, bi^cause 
they know that they are all subjects of one kin<j;<Iom, of which 
Jesus is Lord. Wherever Cliristians meet in liattakland 
they shake each other by the hand ; they call one another 
don<<;au — companions, friends — a wonl which formerly desifj;- 
nated members of the same tribe. They all know that they 
belonjj to one another. They rejoice in this fellowship, and 
like to contrast the condition of brotherly love with the 
hciithen period of club law, when every man's hantl was 
€aj;ainst every other. " Formerly we were enemies, but n(»w 
we are brethren." This confession of a once notorious head- 
hunter on Xias correctly describes the new situation. Chris- 
tians from the west ami east of Nias like to visit each other 
and strenj^then one another's faith. Some Christians of 
Nias set out t!Ven to make the ac(|uaintanee of their 
Christian brethren of .Sumatni, and be refreshed by their 
fellowship. IJattak Christians have also visited their co- 
religionists in Nias. Kruyt states that in the whole of 
Dutch Fast India the Christians fraternise with one another. 
All who call upon the same God are reeo;;iiised as comrades; 



' See I'l . -J" J IF. Cf. tlic missionary zeal of the Christians of Botschabclo 
(MerPii>ky, /.'•., \<. 312 f.). l$\icliiier : "In iiiiiny churches of Soutli Africa 
are foiiiui more, in others fewer, b)it in all some who, of their own imiuilso, 
testify of their experience of salvation sometimes in their heiUlieii and some- 
times in their Christian surroundings." Tlie same thing is found among the 
Karens Christians. It is said of their jireacliers ; "Persecution does not 
discourage, punishment and inijirisonment do not terrily them. The spread 
of the (Jospel and the salvation of their people is their one tliought day aud 
night." 



TllK VKTOUIOI S KOIK'KS OF TIIK <;OSPKL JH'. 

the iiihubitaiits of the most divfrso inlands visit ..no iuu.tli.-r 
and sl.ake hands. In tho whole of Dutch Kast In.l.u 
Christians welcome each other. 

Such characteristics show how the idea of the ninty of 
the human race dnvviis .juite naturally on the rc.leemed 
heathen Christians.i Separatcl formerly from other pcples 
l.y reli«'ion an.l custom, they rejjardcl themselves, m their 
conceit? as the only men. Kvery tribe had its own story of 
creation. They were separated from the white men l.y an 
unbridf^eahle f;ulf. As Christians, they rejrard not otdy their 
feUow tribesmen and ..th.r fellow countrymen as brothers, 
but also all coloured men, and all iCun.peans. On this i.o.nt 
they have absolute belief in the Bible ; but it is .fesus rather 
than the record of creatic.n vho has conviuced them that 
they are children (.f the one Father. Hence their national 
and social barriers need n. ' «.ken down. The native 

Christian is ..bedient to hi ' ■: I shows due respect to 

the Kuropean. Hut prejmiu ' - .vereome, conceit on the 
one hand and slavish subje'tioi. <>u the other. The breaker 
of all bonds has thrown down this wail also. 

All the letter heathen Christians display the courage of 
jrlad confessors.-! It is t(. them a necessity t(. testify to 
what they hne ftmnd in the Saviour, and many of them 
are ready to suffer, and, if need be, to die for their testimony. 
Tropical people have a certain natural cajiacity for the y(.ke, 
and for enduring sufferin,!,', often due t«. lack of energy. 
This is ennobled by Christianity. The heathen Christian 
has gained a convicti(.n, based upon e.\i.erience, which is 
stron" eiHiugh to endure considerable burdens, which is even 
strengthened bv suffering for Jesus' sake. The sufVeriiigs 
endured by the young Christians of .Madagascar for their 

• KUis, til- n.issinnary ..n Miula-as.ar, Ihm.uI "tl.^it. in spit., of iill 
ditleren.T of clin.at.. ...lour, '..Mpwij;.., .....1 .l.-ieo m .uUuiv. ( 'l.n.nai.ity 
ma,l.. i.KMi s..e tl.at tli.^y all •...■Iniif^e.l t.. ..i... laiuily. 

= " Tlw eiin.stm-ss am' IVail.s.i.i'ss witli wlii.W tli.' tnst LapiMii ( linstians 
were roa.iv to .•.mfess tl -ir taitl, l.y ■I'-l-. '""' 'l""' ''■^'^ "' '""'^' '"" 
tan>inate.r with heathen ....n.h.. t, M,a.l.. a .l.'.l. in,i.r..ssi..n -n us. Smh 
courage in oonfrssKm und>i s.iioiw M.ll.riiiKs was f,Mv.n at a lat.'r i.-'n...! to 
this whole piininiunity." 






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280 TIIK IJV[\(J FORCKS OF TIIK (JOSPFX 

fiiith ari' well kiuiwn, oh uIso thowc of the Wnjjanda, ami 
thoMc of (Miina (lurin<j the Hoxer risiiifj,* In every ini««ion 
field the first converts have ninch to Muffer ; they are tlrivcn 
from houses and villai»es ; they lose their fields; they arc 
slandered, iHTseciited, hated, shunned. The heathen ( 'hris- 
tian finds it easier to suffer (juietly and die cheerfully than 
the average (Christian in ('hristen(h)ni. He is hel|H'd to do 
so by his direct childlike relation to his Cod. I'ncon- 
scious remains of old fatalism may also he at work in the 
matter. 

The judfrment of Huchner, who had a most accurate 
knowled^'e of S(mth African missions, upon the moral 
condition of heathen Christian conununities, is: "If we 
ask about their ( 'liristian patience, their quiet endurance of 
snfferinj,', and their childlike trust in (io<l in troidile, we are 
c(Hifronted with a very pleasing picture. I do not think 
I am sayinj,' too nmch when I assert that on this point 
our heathen Christians are far superior to (mr Kuropean 
( -hristians. Their patience in trouble, their <i;loryin<» in 
tribulation, their nniturity in • precious fruits of such 
submissions. ... I have not once but many times had 
occasion to witness, and in a manner that is very rare 
in Christendom." " Visit the deathl)ed of our I'hristian 
and you will sec— and often where you had not expected 
it— the nian departins? with ^rlad confidence nd childlike 
joy, and that amonj? those who, as heati ., were in a 
very special sense in bondage through the fear of death, 
so that the heathen Christians often seem to l)e far in 
advance of us in tlie joy and delight of departing to be 
with Christ." 

If we add thc'r delight in prayer and their childlike 
trust in (Jod, we have, in some measure, given a complete 
picture of the bright side of the heart renewal. Kvery 
moral excellence Hows from the uniciue relation they have 
gained to (Jod their Redeemer and loving Father. The 

' It is r('i)<)iUMl of tlic Knl.s that tliey st«c,il triio in pcrsocution, altlioiijjh 
many of them Imil been at first drawn t<i (Jhristiauity tlirough social oou 
siilpration.s. 



TIIK VFCTOniorS K<UUK;s OF TIIK (JOSPKL JH; 

muml tranNformntioii \h pnMlm-nl l>y the ntiuw power. 
The more they urc rcjjenerated n lij,'iouj«ly, the more are 
they triuiHfornied morally : Ko, I make all thii)i;s new. 
But even inort' iiii|)ortaiit tlian partii-iilar outst:ui<iiiis; 
virtueH in the faft that there in foriiuMl a Cliristiaii piil>lie 
opinion, a national eonHeienoe. Where men formerly 
iHittsted of their infamous deeds, they are now asliaun-d 
of tlu'm, and the evihhier is i-ompelled to seiieey. Christian 
law and eustom take the place of caprice. ••The power i»f 
puhlie opinion on Minahassa is nnspeakaitly threat, and has 
a much jjreater intlu'Miee than the exhortations of tlte 
missionary." The weak individmd is home up i)y publie 
opinion, and a Kxed standard is put into the hand of 
those who are morally waverini;. As a national eonseienee 
it helps to form the personal eonseienee of the average 
ChriHtian, and thus bceomes an important factor in the 
tminini; of the people. 

In an essay on "the riijht estinuitc of the apostolic 
coninmnities as preseutetl in the New Testament," Kiihler 
reaches results wh'fli are in essential aj^reement with tin; 
experience of missionaries in the mission fields of to-dny. 
lie extols the faith «)f the ajxtstolic eomnninities, their 
experience of the living Ckh], their assurance of the new 
life, "possessions that are not <iuickly reliinpiished . . . 
however hard it may be to ascertain and earry out in the 
varied relations of pub Jc life their implications f • conduct." 
He emphasise, further, their brotherly love whuii "reco<j- 
nises all believers as brethren," and the joyousness of their 
hope. The excellences of apostolic ( 'hristians lie in the 
relif-'ions, not the ethical rejjion. Th(^ stmnj^ contrast to 
their former mode of life, after the manner of their fatherH, 
was able to disturb their e(|nilibrium and actually did so. 
"As the one k'"'^'''*^ revolution had been effected in their 
fundamental relation to <i»td an«l man, it was now neces- 
sary to restore the e(|uilibrium with the view of assuinin<; 
an attitude towards the thini^s of the world and towards 
them that are without. "The familiar customs in the 
midst of which they livi' have the f«)rce of rooted habit ; 



JHH TIIK I.IVIXCJ FORCKS OF TIIK CJOHI'KI. 



I: 



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coiiNt ijiioiitly, Uiey do not often iiHk tlioniwIvcN whether 
anything i« rigli , beeauMo they fall huek into the t>hl wiiyw 
without rctleetion and without hesitation. Hut, ^lHluld 
they rcfleet, they are utill a lon<j way from any elear and 
Hure estimate «»f an aneestral custom. For these custoniH 
not infre<|uently are involve<l in the veiy strueture of 
Hoeiety." In our endeavour rightly to appnTiate the very 
efuispieutms defects of heathen Christians, their manifold 
uontcntiims, their sensuality, their love «»f W''<> ^^'i' must 
put ourselves to school, to Paul, strict censor of spiritual 
thinirs. and learn to estimate the Divine inHuences, not 
from the shortctmiini^s in the way of perfection, hut fnmi 
the chan<;e lietwfen what was and what is, iiiterpreted 
in the lijjht t)f tlie motives. We can apply such a test 
|>retty fully to mi>st of the missitni fields of to-day. The 
results of Kiihier's incpiiries are virtually the same as tlie 
missionaries' experiences. They justify us in Kudin^ in 
the apostolic experience a confirmation of the resdiiy 
of like events in the reli<;ious life of modern converts from 
heathenism, and of the moral renewal which their new 
religions life produces in them, although that moral renewal 
<loes not always keep step with ti.e religious progress. 
The whole story is to be interpreted by th<»8e lawi< which 
regulate the dependence of moral eidightenment on rciigi«)us 
life ; those powers which everywhere and always must feed 
the life-giving root, then fashion the young shoot, and, last 
of all, bring to maturity the fl .wcrs and the fruits. 

The peculiar excellences of hcathe)i Christians are opposed 
by peculiar nu)ral defects ; these are difficult to remove, 
because deeply rooted in the national character. As in 
the apostolic couununities, we find tlie young heathen 
Christians of njost mission fields very heavily burdened 
with sins of the flesh. Missionaries often lament their 
inability to awaken a right feeling in this matter. The 
physician of souls should see in these sins a burden of 
heredity. 

Lying cannot i)e at once abolished among people over 
whom it has luid such a mighty sway. Most mission 



TlIK VKTOUlors FOUCKS OF THK <;0S1»KL JHU 

i-liiin-lics liavc to coiitciul u itii iiiiiili ituniliu-itv. *^i.'<li<>iu>sty, 
friuiil. aii<l iiisiiiicritv on the pait of flicir iiu-iulirrs. Tlioro 
is also niiu-li liti^ioiisiu^s, <|iiai-rt>lM)iiiciu>ss, pri<U', iiitrij,'nin^j 
for U'ail»'iHlii|i or j.'ovi>rniiii'iit ciii|iloviiu'iit, and iiationil viicK, 
very ditliciilt to ovorcoiiic. Any ont- atnon}; tliom ^' lo, for 
(lod's sake, forjiivi's an oiuMny, or fjiven ii|i a law suit, 
eviniTs a liumility wliicli t(--tiru's to a very tlioroii<;ii heart 
renewal, l-aek ol e!ieri;y is a (jnality not easily dispelled tiy 
tlie Cospel. Kveii tlie Im >nesian heathen Christians, nun 
rejoieinj: in tlieir reromiliation with (iod, remain without 
initiati\( waiting on nature ; that, perhaps, will ehan^o very 
slowlv. Anioii!' the defects of heathen ChristianH of the 
Indian Archipela<j;o is a eertain inst;ii>ility of ehuraeter, 
whieli makes them prone to slaeken in their moral efforts, 
and makes their moral life necessarily uneven. Freipiently, 
we have to hmient the want of aetive h>ve, pruetieal com- 
passion, and luart-felt symj>athy amonj,' heiithen Cliristians ; 
also earthly- mindedness. a too threat eagerness for full 
barns, as well as for spiritual l)lessin<,'s from the (Jospel. 
All these defects will he easily understoitd by one who 
jud<ies ri<ihtly. The experiences of foreign missions warn 
us not to idealise the moral state of the apostolic 
cunununities. 

It cannot Imt surprise us, however, to fimi that relapses 
into heathenism, mere or less <jross, are not rare. We come 
ujx)!! them ehietly an.onj^ those Christians who simply 
followed the lead of their companions, expecting mainly 
from Christianity an improvement in the outward condition 
of their life, and wiio suffered a great disappointment. Hut 
it happens not onl^ among the hangers on, the iinnoyancea 
of everv growing mission. Mostly, the relaj)sc is due to tine 
threads binding >till s\il)tly and unconsciously the heathen 
Christian to the iicathen world of thought. The animistic 
view of the world underlying heathenism, renuMuber, is not 
removed from their heart by turning away from idt)l.s. The 
animistic doctrine of souls cannot be at once relegated to a 
nmseum of anticjuities ; it is living still, and seeks to enter 
into union with Christian thought. The young Christian 

T 



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290 THE LIVING FORCES OF THE GOSPEL 

wishes to break wholly with the animistic view of the world ; 
but, in practice, his thought and his feeling are atill easily 
inHueuced by the a-roixfio- tw kocthov. A man's name is 
even to the Christian no mere word ; they do not willingly 
utter the names of relatives. Christian mothers still like to 
give their child a "soul garment," never ponsidering what 
they are doing; Christians involuntarily avoid pronouncing 
the name of a sick person. Many Christian fathers allow 
their hair to grow while expecting an addition to their 
families, etc.^ Belief in the power of hostile enchantments 
is still general- Such contraband of thought, smuggled 
fronj the enemy's camp, nuist be vigorously opposed, but it 
should not be too severely judged.^* 

Among those who have broken with spirit worship are 
many, who, unconsci(msly, observe those superstitious usages 
without discerning their connection with heathen religion. 
Thousands of actions and prohibitions, of whose origin and 
aim no one can give any account, have been stamped by 
long custom as laws of conduct or rules of decorum for daily 
life. Whenever the missionary enlightens them as to the 

' Schreilier gives a uuniber of such uaagcs, based on Aniiiiisiii, from among 
tlie oilier and younger Cliristians of tlie Indian Archipelago. " Die 
iulandischcn Cliristengcnicinden des Indischen Arcliipel., a.m.z., 1883, 
J). liCO f. 

- A unique [Muof of iiow aniniistic sorcery makes itself at home in 
Christianity is found ainiuig tlie Hush negroes. If any one is robbed, and 
does not know the lliief, he brings candles into the Catholic Church, and 
tirndy bdiiv.s that the thief will lose his life as the candles are b«ing 
gradual!., iuirned (Missionsbl. der Hrudergenieinde, 1907, p. 179). 

3 The essay of a liattak teacher, which recently appeared in their montldy 
record, was to me a pleasing sign of how the Uattak Christians recognise 
and resist the danger of Animism. The author points to "a worm in 
Christendom," meaning, tliereby, the notion of the soul, which is still pre- 
valent among Christians. Many contin\ie to believe that souls are magically 
inlluenced for good or evil. A cliild thrives if the soul of tlie mother guards 
it ; the woman owes it to her own soul that she is pregnant ; lia]ipiness and 
unhappiness come from the soul ; t is frequently supposed that the soul has 
chosen its lot ; fatalism still rules thought far too much. The seeking 
for a lucky name and sudi like is also denounced. One sees how the Animist 
finds it very dil'ieult to change his way of thinking, even though lie has the 
will to do Ml. Tin- ^^t^ug>;le of Christians against these notions is a plainer 
proof of the power of the Cospel than the conquering of particular sins. 



THE VICTOmOIS FOIU'KS OF THE (i(»SPEL iMH 



daiifferous coniiertion i>f tlit- superstitions »s;t<j;os,' t\\v\ it 
most' tjuite readv to <;ivc thcin up; tlu-y arc also rvady to 
take part in trackinu; out the little enemies and instructing 
their brethren about them. Sincere Christians are reallv 
earnest in their efforts to pur<je out the old leaven. In 
conferences of Bnttak teachei"s and preachers we have asked, 
and obtained, reports eoneernin<j these remains of heathen 
superstition still found in the Christian communities. We 
discovered many nion: of them than we, or our helpers, 
imagined, but we also succeeded in openinfr the eyes of 
the better Cliiistians to them ; and now, in aii our com- 
munities, the enemy is hunted from his hidin<^-place, and 
vigorously suppressed. We may reckon it among the most 
genuine conciuests of the (iospel, that it not only overthrows 
idols, shatters magic implements, removes the abomination of 
idolatry, but that with K>ng patient lal)our it succeeds in 
exposing and pulling uj) the roots of sujterstition, even to 
their minutest suckers, and that heathen Christians are eager 
and unwearied in this toil. 

We must also bear in mind that Christians are in danger 
of forming magical notions of the ( liristian religion similar 
to their ohl notions of their own neatlien religion. That 
sometimes finds expression in the eclebratioti of bafttism 
and the Lord's Supper.^ Aniniists are very apt to connect 

'Thai is not always siioh a siiii]ilo matter. Is tatixiiiif;, '.7., to be for- 
bidden as lieatlunish ? We have no rif^lit to forbid it, save where it has a 
lieatlien liasis. It is the same with teeth tiling, willi certain |iieseiits, 
niarringe usages, festivals for thf dead, etc. 0pini(jus dilfer murli in these 
and sueh like (jiiostions. One deolares that such customs are harndess, ami 
their siiiipression a brutal abuse of nii».sionary autho.ity ; another sees in 
them bonds ct hcitheidsm, which, in all eircumstames, nnut be severed. 
Many such ^lsal<p^ also, though animistic in their origin, have lost all 
heatheu signJticani'O. Sucli. I'l examiile, are bodily ornaments, which were, 
in all likelihood, originally a:nulets \cf. Wundt, /.•■., ]i. ri6). There is no 
longer any need to light against such things as these. 

'^ Among the Christians of Dutch East India, in the days of the Kast 
India Company, it a]ipeared that any one who could not hims.lf be iircsent 
at the Lord's S\iii|ieT . sent his slaves as sub.stitutcs ; that the Ambonesiun 
Christians did not eat the bread at the Sujipcr, hut took it home and used 
it afterwards as a kind of charm. A black pastor on the Cold (oast 
obKer\od that llie cuiununiciinl^ nlaincl the communion canJs m order 



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292 THE LTVTN(J FORCES OF THE (JOSPEL 

the partakina: of Christ's b<i.ly aii<l 1>I<>(«1 with the old notion 
of aitprojmating the soul-stuff of another by eating it. The 
fear of coming to the Lord's Tahle whieh we find in most 
heathen Christian eoinniunities is not always the outcome 
of pious reverence. Many heathen Christians ascribe 
niaj^ical powers to the New Testament. These are all 
children's ailments belonging to the period of <,'rowth, and 
if taken at the ri«,'ht time, and treated rifjhtly, can be got 
over. No foreign missionary will palliate or explain away 
these defects, but he will remember that defects adhere 
to all Christians, even to those far in a«lvance of those 
tyros who have hardly yet made their own the A B C 
of redemption. He will also discover to his comfort, 
though not to the excusing of Iiis heathen Christians, that 
even in the apostolic communities subtle and gross sins of 
a similar kind not only appeared, but were often hardly 
felt or denounced as sins ])y the conimunity. Above all, 
he will remind himself that religious renewal always pre- 
cedes moral renewal, and keeps in advance of it. Utschi- 
mura exhorts missionaries who go to Japan : " When you 
come to us, come with a healthy, human understanding, 
and sober views. Do not imagine that a peoi)le can be 
converted in a day. You will find things as sober and 
prosaic among us as elsewhere ; even among us men doubt, 
dissemble, and stumble." ' 

The real falling away from Christianity is a return to 
spirit worship, and it must be very differently assessed. 
Conscious apostasy is rare in heathen Christian com- 
munities, most rare in the case of those who were 
personally conviiioed Christians. When it does take i)lace 
it is generally the penalty, the natural and inevitable con- 
secpjcnce, of having failed to maintain the gift already 
received. Yet even here we must beware of judging too 

to jiut them iiitu tlie liuiuJs of the dyiiif,'- 'i** a kind of [lass into htMvcii, nr.il 
that in like manin'i' the liai)ti.snial water was not emptied out in any ones 
presence. Af,'aiii and again, writes Missionary (iiess, one nmst call upon 
the Chinese at the Lord's Supper, eat, eat, because they want to (.onceal the 
bread in their sh'eve and use it for superstitious purjHJses. 
1 Utschimur.x I.e.. p. 122. 



TIIK VKTOUlorS FOIU'KS OF TIIK (iOSIMlL i2!>.{ 



severely. We must not forget the fearful j>o\ver of the 
cnticeiiieiit. Wlieu a druiikanl lias ahjiireil his vice his 
companions take a liendish jov in seekinij to entice him 
back, an<l althoujjh almost saved, altlionnh conscious of 
new powers, he may yet succumb to their infernal ur<^iiij;s. 
The heathen entice, and uri;e witli threats, their com- 
panions to come back to them.' 

In particular their relatives do all in their power to 
sethice those who have dci>arted from the ways of tiieir 
fathers. Ima<{ine the situation of a widow who bclonj^s 
to the family of lier dead husband, because she became 
a wife by purchase. How liard must it not l)e for lier 
to remain true to iier fiith when the whole of her relations, 
from whom she cannot jijet free, are heathen, and wish to 
force on lier a heathen husband ! Hut any one who proves 
weak, and is i)revailed upon to take part aj^ain in a heathen 
sacriHce, or in sorceries, verifies the words of Jesus about 
the house swept and <i;arnished, and the evil spirit who 
returned ; the last state of that man is worse than the 
tirst. If formerly he was a thou<^htless idolater, he is 
now for the most part a conscious eneriy of Christianity. 
Such a deserter has far jjreater difficulty in returnin<j to 
salvation, and tlh lore conscious the fall the more tliHicult 
is the return. The power of the evan<j;elic f^ift is seen 
here ; like every fjreat <iift, it must not be trifled with. 
With pitiless certainty it becomes a ])ower unto death to 
those who have once tasted of its blessin^^'s and then rejects 
them. The early Church was rij^ht in maintainiiifj; that 
ajMJstasy from the livinji; (Jod, after a savin<i: knowledge 

' "Thi' African hcatliuii who Wduld bi'ciunt^ ii ('liiistiaii lias to w.ij^e a 
fearful buttle. At every step heatheiiisni IhiMs liiiii with luiiuls that seem 
a.s if tliey eoulil not lie broken. He has to take |iart in the usages of soreery, 
even though he has cease<l to helievt in them, for the kinj; has eoniniainleil 
it. His own kimlreil shun him as unclean. His eompanion.s use liltliy, 
oh.seene laiifiuajje, and sometimes riilieule what he deems saered. His own 
parents |ierlia]H i tiise liim heeause he has liKiuj^ht them into disj^raee and 
dani;er, and if lie is fortunate enoiij;h to have a (Christian wife, man and 
wife nuist look forward with terror to the time when the heathen will i laini 
their children, and drag tlieiu to dissolute Comaargien " (.Merenskv, /.c, 
(.. ir,-j). 



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291 TIIK LIVIN(J KOIUKS OF THE (JOSPEL 

of Him, was the one sin that could not be forgiven. 
Rarely does such a man seek Divine forgiveness. Even 
the heathen feel the gravity of such guilt, and are afraid 
of it. 

To proclaim to the heathen the living (Jod and lledecmcr ; 
to wait in patience till experience makes llim known ; then 
to wait again till the moral germs there sown within the 
heart spring up, and finally to foster carefully the tender 
growing plants— that is the method blessed by God in the 
mission work of the early Church, and blessed by llim in 
the foreign mission work of to-day. First the gift, then 
duty; iirst the seed, then fruit; first the religious ^ower, 
then moral application of the power: first (jod the Saviour, 
then the Divine example. Morals rise to the call of the 
religious life . From ihg wiistin'c y of these facts w e ms\y 
tleducc the_ jaiv that true i jjoii'' ''^"^ sprinp^s only from the 
V ri ght re latjon to God illwaya issues ijL 
Jesus Himself has formulated this 
natural law in the spiritual world : he tiiat abideth in Me 
and 1 in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit, for without 
, _ Me ye can do nothing. 

The Gospel has carrie<l faith and love into the cold, torpid 
heathen world ; crowning all, it otters the gift of hojic in 
a life of future blessedness. The animistic heathen finds in 
earthly things the highest blessings. If he is religious he 
has the same interest in this world ; he expects his religion 
to give him the blessings of this life.' When the heathen 
hears Ghristianity extolled as the true religion, he asks, Can 
you giiarantec that we shall not die if we become Chri.stians ? '^ 
The Papuans said to Van llasselt that they would only 
become Christians if the missionaries could pray so as to 
raise the dead. Hence the ever-recurring (juestion of the 

' Sec pp. iriO-132. 

- All i)lil man in Toiiiasa sai<l to Kniyt : "If yi>ii cannot iinmiise us 
a limgiT lifi' on caitli, it is manifest that Cliristiauity and licatlieni.sm arc 
alike." On tliu death of some Clivistians in Dutch New (luinca the lieathen 
said : " Wliat a stupid tliiu},' it i.s to become a Christian ; Ohri-- ins diu like 
ourselves." .Siuiila ^ayiii^'s may 1"' often heard in Suuuitra. 



religiousHfe 

right moral conduct 



THK VICTOHIorS FORCKS of TIIK COSl'KL JO.-. 

hcatlien to the inissionarius : Wliat will you j^ivo us if we 
become Christians, or if we send our rhii«lron to seh<»ol ^ 
The people of Xias asked the uiissionary Thomas : What 
advantage shall we fjaiii in leavin<; our work and jjjoiui; to 
church ^ The public school was not poj)ular at first on Nias 
because " it did not make the swine fatter. " The hcatlien 
thinks of the other world with horror— a;, a land of siiadows. 
The present life alone is valuable. The niter hoi'olo>.<ncss of 
heathenism is shown in the face of death and in their sorrow 
for the departed. If you speak to a Battak heathen about 
dying he cries cnit in terror : I'alias, that be far from me ! 
However miserable ami wretched the life of the poorest may 
be, it is always much too preci(»us to l)e exchanged for 
existence in the kingdom of the dead. 

What a different worhl is disclosed to these hopeless heathen 
by the message of the (Jospcl ! lieyond death an eternal 
life richer than the present ; Jesus, the Son of (!od, the first 
fruits from the dead, now enthroned in heaven, whence He 
will come again to give perfect life and blessctlncss to all 
who have bdieved in llim. IJetwccn the animistic concep- 
tion of the other world and this there is no spanning bridge. 
W^e need not wonder then that the heathen do not at 
first believe this part of the Gospel message, and that they 
oppose to it an uncompreheuding blank.' The young 
missionary not yet thoroughly accpiainted with the desire 
of heathenism for a present salvation here and now, thinks 
perhaps that the message of the resurrection and eternal life 
cannot fail to lighten up the cheerless heathen gloom. But 

' Missionaries constantly sre that tlie ini'ssagr of a future life ealls forth 
wonder and attention. Tlie preaehiiij,' of eternal life, the eoniinn H;;ain of 
.lesns, and the linal jnilgnient, made an inijireBsion on the Papuans of Kaiser- 
Willianusland. It is said that this niessa;,'e, joined to an appeal to their 
conscience, fonnd a way to their hard hearts. The luessaj^e .ihout the home 
of the soul where we shall meet again, and aliout the heavenly villaj;e, liad a 
stronji attraction for the otherwise insuseeptihle ; alxi tin preae!:ing of 
Christ's .second eoniing, when all men shall coiuj forth from llieir j^raves, and 
the messaj^e of the linal jud^'nient. Hut notwitli'^tanding the oicasional 
impression, it was not succos^ful in leading the lieuilicn Papuans to llie 
Gospel. Tliey continue ' to reject it. 



ii 



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2!»0 THE LIVIN(J FORCKS OK TIIK COSPKL 

in most cases that is not so.' In an ewsay on this niytrt 
a Battak catcchist says: "Tlie nicssajjc ahont etoiual lii'e 
has a (littitulty in jjettinjj; into a heathen heart. Tiiey say, 
that is very beantit'nl, hnt no one ean know wliether it is 
true. When they iiear of the final jndjinient they are terrified 
f(»r the moment, but the fear sooji passes away. Tliey .-tre 
])eoi)le with short thonj^lits and cannot see far. " Tlie hearers 
sluike their heads, inereduh)ns as the Athenian pliih^sophers 
when Paul spoke to tiiein about tiic resurrection. Tills is 
perliaps to tiie lieathcn the stn.iif^cst piirt of tiic (Jospel 
messaj^e, for it turns upside down im- animistic world of 
thouf^ht.- 

The acceptance anil estimation of this (Jospel <jift demands 
preparation which is iurnishcil by their experience of the 
liviiii; (iod. The heathen Christian learns that with Him 
nothi i}i; is impossilile ; he i^aiiis cinitidence in iiim and tastes 
His love in Jesus Christ. The assurance that even death 
cannot destroy this communion has then a pleasing sound to 
him. He knows from iiiblc history that .Jesus is Fiord over 
death ; in the life of jn-ayer and of faith he daily learns that 
thoufih He was dead He is now alive ami v.'j;\\ to him. If 
he has personal communion with .lesus, and desiies to follow 
on to know the Lord, the words about eternal life no lonjjer 

' " I shall never forget the lecliiif; urilisniay that cann' to nii' ■nice after 
sjieakiiig witli fervour on the raisiiifj; of Lazarus. The story wns listened to 
with reverent attention, hut at tlie elose of the iiieetiuj; an olil huly of rank 
said : ' So that is how thiiif,'.s liajipen aiiifui;; you tliat the ileal heeoiiie alive. 
That does not hapjien auionij us,' atii'. iiiiinediately [las.sed on to speak of 
thinijs of daily life "(Kriiyt, " Inlander." y. SS). A Uattak heathen ehief saiil 
to Reitze the missionary, "' All that you say is i;ood and beautilul, but I can- 
not helieve what you have said about the lesuircctiou from the dead." 

^ That shows that the animistic view of the world is more (h'e]ily rooted in 
the heart of the heathen than belief in the gods. The latter is overthrown 
without did' Milty by tlie proelamation of the new faith : but the message of 
the resurii is believed with the greatest dillieulty, because it assails the 

animistic vu . lie world. Tlie annonneenient of tterual life is the only 

point in the Gosjicl message wliich the heathen meets with doubt. "The 
idea of a reawakening of the body already redueeil to dust, an idea that 
is mystical in its inmost iiatiue, because perce|aiblc to the i-ason only in the 
form of a sudden new creation, is nitiie'y a'ien to primitive thought" 
(Wundt, l.r., ji. 64). 



TilK VKTOUKK S FOUCKS OF TIIK COSl'KI. -">' 

appear straii-i' to Ir- i ; <«ii tlu- c<.ntrary, tlirv lu-n.iiio a 
postulate- of laitli. It is only .Icsiis wlio I'liiil.lrs tlu- licatlion 
to approj.riato tlu- promise of (-iL-riiiil lifV. I'lM-ir notions ol 

flho life after <leatli are inverted only Leiaiise tliey liave eouie 
to know (Jod and Mis love in .lesus. because tliey are in el«)se 
eoniniunion with Him. and believe in Mis death and resurree- 
tiou.' Only those heathen Christians who have experienced 

4esua as Saviour are convince«l of the eternal life. The tyro 
Christians make little of the i^ift of ♦''tiue life which is 
surpassed in their estimation hy the !,'ilts of the present, 
their deliverance, the oninipotenee ai-d fjoodness of the tlieat 

(Jod. 

Hence we can easily understand that the article of the 
resurrection of the ilead is still stran<,'e to many Hattak 
Christians. We missionaries have been <;rieveil to see that 
many of the baj.tise.l cannot really believe that man s body 
is to come forth from the ^'rave at (iods command and 
receive a jrlorilied life.- Any one who knows the members of 
his eonimunitv will observe that the doubters are those who 
have noi yet 'laid lu.ld of Jesus as the Saviour. The vision 
of hcaven'can only be seen from the holiest of all. No uian 
can see heaven opened unless hi- knows the Son of Man at 
the rijrht hand of (!od. So lonji as the heathen Christian 
has little or no fellowshi]) with Jesus, he is hampered by the 
animistic world of tlKuiorht, even tliou<,di l"*' ''^"^ broken with 
idolatry and spirit worshii>. Animists believe that man's 
soul returns at death to the all-soul ; it is a matter or power 
of this present world. What of man continues to exist after 
death is the ghostlike shadow of his personality. As long as 
the native clings to these ideas he is unable to conceive how 
the " soul " of man is to obtain a new body in a more perfect 
state of existence. The shadow of t!ie dead in the other 
world cannot receive a body. The Aniniist laughs at any one 

' Paul aipu'S f us ii;,'aiiist tlu; ilmbters in th.. iluiivli at Cuinitli. 
Beli.'viiif,', MS th.'V il.., iv the t.c.lily rosune.'tion of .U-siis, tli<-y iimsl rliaiiKi! 
tlii'ii iicitiiiiis alumt die life nf hi'iiivcrs affi-r (loath. 

•-'Til- naiv.-to vvMi wliicli tlicy av..vv this donht jnslilifs the inf.M.ii.r that 
they really h.li.ve all otlier aitieles ol laith whieh they ih. not exjue^sly 
question. Tl;ey woiilrl olhciwise avow their susi.ieiuus. 



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29H TIIK LIVIX(; FORCES OF THE (JOSPEL 

who Hecks to correct him on this subject.' But if the 
heiitlicii has had experience of (Jotl'd love in Christ— it must 
neeils he an experience— he will know instinctively that the 
truth alwint man's soul is different from what he formerly 
believed ; that the soul is an object of Divine love, some- 
thins personal, precious, immortal ; that it will live for ever, 
and can be reclothed with a new and better body because it 
has entered into union with God. Those who have turned 
from idols to (Jod arc now so intimately united with Him 
that they wait for the cominij of His son from heaven, who 
will complete their fellowship with Him (1 Thess. i. 9 f.). 
The hope of eternal life opens up to the youn^ Christian so 
far as he has Christ. The more intimate the relation to 
Christ the more vivid is the hope. Where Christ has not 
become the way and the truth. He is not the life. He is the 
resurrection and the life; whosoever believeth in Him has 
the world of eternal life opened up to him. 

The experience of all missionaries shows that t' : hope of 
eternal life has become a power in the heathen world. Its 
genuineness is tested in cases of sickness and at (leath-beds. 
When the relatives of Hattak Christians die, we no longer 
hear the wild wailing music and lamentations in which the 
heathen give expression to a sorrow that has no hope. The 
mourning usages, originating in fear of the dead, cease to be 
observed, so far, at least, as they are felt to be heathen. 
All who believe in an eternal life quietly and calmly mourn 
their dead.- The sincerity of the Christian hope is most 
beverely tested by the death of a son, above all, an only son, 
of a Christian on the Indian Archipelago. Such an ex- 
perience hiw led many a heathen mother to hang herself in 

' It is ., ibrtuiiate tli.it the Christian Battak tfimiiioldgy has adojited the 
word " toiidi -^ for smil, the animistic word lor soul-stutr. This word makes 
It vory <iitlictdt for liim to ai>i>roiiriatc tlie Christian belief in the resurrec- 
tion. 

- Missionaries have often to take artinn a^'ainst heathenish bad habits in 
cases of deatli. But it is among tliose members of tlie eomniunity who have 
little knowledge of Jesus. Among all better Christians the heathen mourn- 
ing customs are s]Mintaneously transformed into the Christian customs, which 
are pervaded by the spirit of hoiie. Merensky commends the manner of 
mourning among the l5asuto Christians. 



THE VKTORlorS FOUCKS OF THK (;osrKL •-'!»!» 

dcHpuir. Most heathen t'hristiuim hear the hlow wilii 
re»i}?imtioii, comforting one unotiier. ami Kavini; of tlie dead 
chihl : He Iuih t,'one before us. Verv ottcn, tliojijih not 
always, the Christian mother trains sullieient self-oontrol 
to come to church tlie Sunday after tlie hnrial of her cliihl, 
though, as the women say, her grief is renewed by seeing 
the many mothers who have their (hirlings still with tlirni. 

Lett gives some touching examples of the way in whie - 
recently baptised heathen Christian parents of Nias coni- 
forted one another at the ileath of tiieir darlings. If their 
grief was too great they came to the mission station lor 
comfort. They took away with them tlie well known 
pi.;turc of Kaulbach, entitled "To (Jod." Cmdorted, they 
Immght it back, saying: "The heathen can now say nothing, 
for they saw on the picture how our dead children are borne 
upwards by angels." When there died the eldest son of 
Fetero, already mentioned, he could say : " 1 am thankful 
that my son is at home with the Lord. When a heathen, 
I would have regarded the death of my tirstborn son as the 
greatest misfortune ; now, h«)wever. his cheerlul end has 
strengthened all our faith." A Niasser mother, after the 
death of her child, answered the missionary : " Why should 
1 sorrow? He has gone to heaven." A Hattak mother 
could say : " My son is with the Lord, renu»ved from all sin 
and temptation; I do not wish liim back." No one who 
knows the despairing grief an<l tlisconsolatcness of heathen 
parents will be able to explain such utterances titherwisc 
than by a miracle of Divine power. 

This living hope brightens the di tli-l>cd of many heathen 
Christians. There is shown then, and not merely in excep- 
tional eases, a cheerfulness that must ai)pcar to the heatlien 
a kind of madness. We have come upon many edifying 
examples of the vividness of the eternal hope at the death- 
beds of young and old Christians in Sumatra. A Hattak 
seminarist was languishing in consumption, doomed to a 
death of great suffering. Without envying ids healthy com- 
rades, nay, with joy, he followed the call of his Lord who 
came to take him. When a Mohammedan visitor wished 






••5 

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:m THK LIViXCJ FORCES OF TIIK COSI'KL 

health uiul long life to a dyiiijj Battak woman, slic Haiti : 
" I no lonprtT dt'sirc that. My wish ia now to ^n home to 
my liord in heaven. Death lia.s no torroi., ri.r me." Aniazeil, 
the .Mohammedan replied: "That is a lanj,'uu<,'c I do not 
know. We are anxions and afraid ol' death." A Niasser 
(JhriHtian woman on her death-lwd said : " Wiiy should I he 
afraid? Jchum has forifiven my sins; now I nmst jjo home." 
Such Messed home-j^oiuKs of heathen Christians appear too 
frequently in all missionary reports to he reek(.ned exceptional. 
The intimacy of the relation to Jesus the Redeemer and Lord, 
whose property they feel themselves to he, is the fjnarantee 
to the dying of their salvati<m. And the certainty of heiiig 
unite»l with Him changes the fear of death into a glorified joy.» 
The stujiefied resignation with which the heathen departs has 
vanished in the case of many Christians. Death has lost its 
sting; it has hec(»me to them the entrance into life. In nniny 
eases the dying feel constrained to confess their sins in order t 
remove everything that stands hetween them and tiieir S:»viour. 

Not every Christian dies so cheerfully and peacefully. 
But those who do are always people w iio had found in .Jesus 
the Saviour, and had an intimate relation to Him. The more 
lively the communion with Christ ami the rppreheiision of 
His love, the more peaceful and hiesscd the dying. The 
dying hour tcdts the intimacy of their rclaticui to Jesus. He 
who has .lesus has overcome death. 

The dying are often said to see angels coming to take 
them. A Battak teacher exclaimed in his death struggle, 
"Behold two angels have come to take me." When the 
heathen aunts of a dying Xiasser youth hegan to lament, lie 
said, "Why do you keep me from going to the Lord with 
your howling? The angels had already come, and would 
have borne me hence, and it wtis so beautiful up there: 
keep (jiiiet that I may go home." 2 The honiegoing often 

' Duniif; the iicrsecutinn of the Chiistians in Ma(la},'ascar, tlir iminltiora 
repeate(ily declared: "There is a magic in the religion of the white people 
that takes away the fear of leatli." 

- Merensky reports from Botschal>elo : "It was reniarkaliK' tliat many 
before their end saw visions and iieanl voices : they mostly saw white foiiiis, 
wliich they often described as our own who have eonie to call us." 



TIIK VUTOHKUS FOHCKS OK TIIK (JOSPKI- :uH 



tliiiik tlu-y SCO .U'!*UH llimwlf romin^ to take tliom \\tmw. 
In Miucni ((Johl CouNt) tin- iliii'f, Siiloiiiu, lay (lyiiiji. After 
toiulii!ij,'ly exliortiiiL,' all pn-soiit. hv fxi-laiim-il, "My lionl 
.Ii'siitt, with many (U'|mrto(l hrctliroii, funics t»» tako nir liniiu-. " 
To the (piestion whether he saw them he replietl. " Do you 
not see them, do you not hear their sanjj? The Saviour is 
present with eompanioiis before and behind Mini; they have 
taken me into tliiir midst, and will lead me into the heavenly 
eity. " A dyinjj Chinese wtnnan, ei^ihteen yearn of a|;e, l.-okeil 
upwards, and cried with a loud voiee. ".leHus is eominjr. .lesiis 
has eoine." A Pajiuan Christian woman exelaimed when 
dyin«,'. ".le^ns ealls me, I eopie." The liveliness of tlieir 
experience of < iod, and the iH'licvin},', childlike interc»mrse 
with the Saviour which they cultivate, are the presuppositions 
of such experiences in the hour of death, the reality of which 
we have no reason to tlouht. The hour of death fre(|uently 
reveals to us missionaries that there was more <;euuine faith 
in a heathen ( 'liristian than we had supposetl. 

The hope of the wt)rld to come is not so ])roniinent in their 

(lives as in the life of the early Church. As far as my observa- 
tion lioes, the Jud;,'ment of the world, the etui of the world, 
and eternal life, have less influence on the lives of the newly 
converted than the other nu)tives I have mentioned. The 
jiulicial function of .Icsus at the end of the worhl is perhaps 
that on which the relijjcions feelin*,' of animistic heathen 
Christians reacts least. Hut I caiuiot say whether the same 
thinfi is true everywhere ainon<i uncivilised peoples. The 
heathen Christian never doubts the eschatolo<i;ical statements 
of the evanj,'elic messa;j;e, but these <lo not enter into his con- 
sciousness with tlie same vividness, antl do not have such 
fruitful results as the uifts of redemption, of comnmnion with 
(!od, and the love of (Jod which he has actually received and 
«i;ratcfidly enjoys.^ 

It is only natural that the poor, the sick, and the heavy 
laden should f^rasp most intensely the t. )U<?ht of heaven, and 
that this side of the proclamation should have special attrac- 
tion for them. In the Battak le])er colony many visitors 

' C/. alpove, 1'. 276. 



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3 



'Mi'2 TIIK r.lVINC F<UUKS OF THK (iOSPKL 

have btjen niirpriHctl at lM>hnl<liii}r the joyoiiHiictw of tlieHO 

hiNivily al!li('ti'(l cripitlfs. What iiiakcH them ho cheerful in 

their iiii«ery ! 'I'hey themselves say : The message that (mmI 

has ealletl even them, the outcasts, to ilis heaven, and that 

they will there receive a clean, healthy body.* As heathen 

they l)elieve«l that lepers would l)e lepers an*i pariahs in the 

other world just as liere. Now, hegotten to the Christian 

hope, these lepers die cheerfully. N.» power in this world 

could have snatched them from their stupid fatalism : .Jesus 

has «lone it by His uiispeakublc {jift. The poor, the suft'eriufr, 

w! h)ws and slaves, <i;rasp joyfully tiie hope of a life where 

(lod shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. That hope 

>?ivcs them «tren«,'th to bear their cross patiently.'^ How 

could the martyrs of Madn^.isiai, China, r^anda. South 

Africa have been re.'idy to endure a painful death for their 

Lord if there had not been in them the living |>ower of a 

hope of reunion with Ilim:' What forces must be at work 

in a heathen heart to change its fatalistic resignation to death 

into the triumphant gladness of a witness unto blood ! The 

power of Jesus revealing itself in the (iospel has succeeded 

in transforming earthly-minded heathen into men whose 

citizenship is in heaven where they know Jesus Christ to be 

their deliverer and the finisher of their salvation. 






Itich and manifold is the gift of the (Jospel to the heathen ; 
it offers them assure<l km)wledgc of the supernatural ; it 
vouches for the truth as Ciod's free gift ; it puts them in 
personal communion with the living (Jod ; it delivers them 
from the hanl bondage in which they were held captive by 
the non-gods and from tormenting fear in every form ; it 
pours over them the warm sunshine of (iod's love; it anoints 
their blinded eyes and makes them see the primal cause of 

' Tlip same iv>iilts aiijx'aied in some lc|>ers of Xew Bethel, South Africa, 
who with gi. Mt joy rceoiveil the message of the hope of a better life in the 
otiier world. Xottmlt lias :i similar report of lepers who were careil for by the 
Kols ilission. 

- Many of the .»iik, like that sick man on Nias, were fomlof hearin;; about 
the future life. He oft 'ii asked the missionary: Tell me something about 
tlie eternal !i!e. 



-.- ?»¥f^Bfl£Sr^ 



TIIK VICToUIors FOUCKS OK TIIK (JOSI'KI. :w:\ 



their misery in m\ nide hy h'uIc witli tin* <livimiy effi'«'tetl 
reconciliutittn ; it equips tlieiii with powers for a holy walk 
with (>(>«l ; it }rluihleiis aiiu streiii;theiiH their liearts by the 
blesHcd hope of an eternal jH'rfeet life with (hmI, The 
heathen are wcmi by "the jjikhI niesNaKe" as a yift, iiot as a 
demand, not as instruction. Ironinil superiority and the tone 
of deKnite command are eqimlly forei^rn to it ; it allures and 
invites the weary witli so«>thing words and promises to jrive 
them rest for their houIs. 

The jjreat jjift of (i!o«l, unfohlinjj itself so variously, is 
adapted t«> the needs of aniniistie heathenism. That 
heathenism hunjjers for certainty, and an authoritative self- 
ctmimuiiieation from (Jod: it gropes after the one iI<Ml to 
whom power appertains ; it siji;hs for deliverance from the 
bitter service of the transient ; it is painfully destitute of hive, 
for it breathes an atmosphere of fear ; it is perishin<4 in the 
mire of its immorality and barbarity ; it is tilled with terntr 
in presence of the {jrave and the other world. All heathen 
have not, of course, a clear perception of tlu-se needs. We 
can only speak of a latent lon«,'inj;. IJnt any one laying; his 
ear to the heart «»f heathenism may trace the low pulsation 
of the lon<rin<<; for deliverance. A nuin may carry about with 
him a consuming disea -e witlumt knowni<; its name, nay, 
without knowing how ill he is; only, in moments of self- 
reflection, he suspects tl:at there is something wrong with 
him he cannot <leline. Apparently contented and satisfied 
with their religion, the animistic heathen are sick unto 
death ; for they have missed their destiny. They cannot say 
thiit it is God they need ; at first they will hardly admit it. 
Custom, materialism, laziness, have covered the tender, 
sensitive organ of the send with a callous coating of horn. 
The magnetic needle is rusted, the glass of conscience dulled 
by mire and dust. Hut the clear light of the (Jospel falls on 
them, and the defects are seen one by one. The light grows 
clearer ; the outlines of the hidden things stand out more 
sharply defined. 

The Gospel names the deadly disease of heathenisn) with 
clear, pitiless truthfulness ; it tears away from the heathen 



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304 TFIK IJVFXO FORCKS OF Till-: (iOSPKL 

tlie veil of soIf-<leco])ti()ii ; it says to tliom tciHlerly, but 
»leci«le«llv : Von are walkiu'r in error under tlic nnxc of 
lies; you are far fntni (lod, .sIave^s of the devil, loveless, 
unelean, hopeless. This elear assured dia<i;nt)sis saddens the 
sick man, but without it the }?ift cannot be appreciated or 
the Deliverer laid hold of. Over a<?ainst the defects, of 
which they have now become conscious, the (Jospel places 
the correspondinjT }^ift, and asks : Wilt thou be made 
whole 'i And there are plenty of heathen who are not 
willin}? to be made whole. These the (i!osi)el cannot help. 
Often tiie sense of defect is awakened by tiie ofier of the <;ift. 
The rif^ht medicine may euro before the patient has heard the 
name of his disease, if only he willinj^ly accepts the whole- 
some drauf^ht. 

The offer and acceptance of the cvanj^elic <?ift need not 
follow strictly the order I have set forth. One facet or 
anotlier of the 'ewel may flash before tiieir eyes with 
attracting!; splendour, accordiu<^ to their tribal exceliencea 
«»r defects, accordiufj to the personal experiences and needs 
of the individual. What makes itself painfully felt as a defect 
will first cry out for healinj;; ami satisfaction. It is of little 
consequence whether is first experienced the power of (lod 
contrasted with the impotence of idols, or fear of the 8j)irits 
drawing the enslaved to the Deliverer, God's love driving the 
selHsli heathen to his knees, the hope of a perfect life, or the 
longing for moral purity. The entrance to the fortress will 
be frt)m the weakest side ; the missionary must seek fttr that. 

The animistic heathen is a member of a Hock ; any gift of 
the (Jospel will help to quicken within him personal thought 
and will ; ami from that side the (iospel will coiupier him. 
lint every man's way to (Jod is uniipie ; in the spiritual life 
there are no moulds. Still there are types. We have 
attempted to describe the typical conver-^ion of the Animist. 
Individuals come to (Jod by a narrow footpath, steep and 
toilsome. The inward change is always very com[)licated 
ivhenever a heathen turns froii s gods and gains a personal 
knowledge of the true God. The object of our incjuiry was 
t(» amdyse and describe as far as possible the conditions of 



THE VICTORIOrS FORCES OF THE COSPEL 30:. 

this great experience, and tlie factors, Imnian and Divine, 
natural and supernatural, tliat were operative in it. 

A ray of light passing through a prism is diftractctl into a 
band of many colours. The i)hysicist can note how the one 
white ray is broken up into many particular rays, each of 
which has a special form and si)ecial qualities. Our incpiiry 
is like this spectrum analysis. We have set under the 
magnifying glass the ray of Divine power shining amid the 
darkness of heathenism, and have noted its manifold varie- 
gated diffractions gleaming like a band of colours in a dark 
chamber. The physicist can gather together again these 
scattered points of colour, and, passing them through his 
prism, form thcni into the one white ray. Our imiuiry has 
clearly revealed what is this one da/zling ray, central force 
of all the scattered gifts and powers of the (Jospel — Tesus 
Christ, the God-man. In Him we see the animating light of 
the spiritual world, the sun of its planetary system. All 
Divine life in human hearts comes from Him as all terrestrial 
life comes from the sun. Every spiritual power is a radiation 
from Him. 

The human eye does not perceive every colour of the sun 
spectrum; it cannot see the ultra-violet or ultra-red rays. 
So we perceive but a limited number of the expressions of 
the Divine power ; many are still hidden from our eye. All 
that we can perceive are but fragments, but these are (juickeu- 
ing radiations of the Divine light, and actual prot)fs of it« 
vigorous reality. 

When ihe ray of light passes through gaseous bodies, 
certain characteristic obscurations arc shown in the colour 
band of the spectrum. When the Divine light passes through 
human hearts, there are dark stains on the spectrum ; thci 
power of God never appears to us in its purity, the light is 
always troubled by earthly mixtures. Hence every picture 
of human convei-sion exhibits distiguring spots, obscurations 
of the light, more or less deep, which have tiicir origin in the 
human heart. The inquiry has set them in relief. 

Jesus Christ is the Divine light which warms and animates 
the world. Our imjuiry, supported in this by the unanimous 

V 



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306 THE LI VINT, FORCES OF THE (JOSPEL 

experience of evangelic missions, lias shown tliat .lesns be- 
comes in constant growing measure the light of the heathen ; 
that their transformation is accomplished in llimand throngli 
Him. The mind of Jesus is the measure of their new creation. 
At the first contact of the heathen with the (Jospel, H's 
person seems to have little influenii ; yet it is at work there 
behind the curtain. The heathen receives the self-attesting 
revelation of God ; it is only a preparation for .lesus. When 
he experiences further the power of the personal living (iod 
through the Bible history and his own experience of (Jod's 
omnipotence, he experiences it more or less c(»nsciously 
through Jesus who has come into humanity. The picture of 
God which the heathen gains through Jesus becomes ever 
clearer and more intelligible to him. Jesus, because He is 
(Jod and man, can become to him the impersonation of God. 
Jesus is the Mediator between (.'od and man, the bridge 
between the supernatural and natural ; in Him ^'le invisible 
. .comes corporeal. Jesus is to the heatht also the 
'deliverer, who with a strong hand has set them free from 
Satan's service, from fear and fate. Visibly to all He is 
fighting victoriously in the interests of all the great conflict 
in man's life between good and evil, that conflict in which 
the man estranged from God is ever defeated. Hut Jesus 
becomes greatest to the heathen C'hristian when He is seen 
to be the love of God. Without the (iod-man the heathen 
world would never eomprehend the (Jospel of love. The 
Crucified vanquishes hearts unaccustomed to love with a 
power which shines with special clearness in the darkness of 
the heathen world. Jesus only, who gave Himself, the Just 
for the unjust, awakens in the self-righteous hearts of the 
heathen the humbling consciousness of guilt towards God. 
Godless humanity perceives its sin in Him who knew no sin, 
but was made sin for sinners. Sin, in being visited upon the 
Holy One, is unveiled in its hateful nakedness and hostility 
to God. Only the death of Jesus can efl'cct this miracle. In 
the same way it is Jesus only who brings about the moral 
transformation of the heathen .Christian. Tlie disciple of 
Jesus enters with a growiiig earnestness into the moral 



THK VKTOHIOI'S FOUCKS OF TIIK (JOSI'KI- :»07 



f 



conllict luH-iUiso »ti" the ii'liitioii to his Siivitmr lie has fiaincd. 
His follow slii{> with Jesus is the strenirtli of all his moral 
coiidiiet. Only he who has fouml .lesus ami who al)i<lotli in 
lliii> l)rin<:s forth fruit. He who h;is Jesus the Saviour ean, 
in Mis strength ami lor His sake for<jive, love, <:ive, >peak 
the truth, be liniiest, ciiaste. hum' le, patient, kind. Finally, 
in the Risen .l,sus is rooted the hope of an eternal life. i.e. 
a form of existence where the believer is united with the 
Saviour wliom he loves, and enjoys unliroken fellowship 
with ilim. 

So far as the heathen ( 'hristian has Jesus he has the siohl 
of <j;enuine spiritual life. All else is Talmi (gilded brass). 
lie has eonnnunion with (Jo«l so far as he has apprehended 
Jesus. He is warmed by the love of (Sod so far as it has 
been revealed to him In Jesus. liis knowled«^e of sui 
depends on the measure of his experience of Jesus' love. He 
fijjtlits a<j;ainst sin with the zeal wliieh is kindled by Jesus, 
and cools or <;lows accordinu; to his relation to Him. He 
strives to do <rood so far as he is impelled and strengthened 
by communion with Jesus. His worldliness is overcome by 
the hope of an eternal life, in proportion as the intimacy (»f 
his relation to Jesus makes him partly experience and partly 
loni? for union with Him. There is no heathen ("hristian 
walkiui? in the truth whose moral ami reliiiious stren<jth is 
not Jesus, who has not found the hiu;hest fjood in eonnnunion 
with his Saviour. Wherever a heathen Christian surprises 
us by his delight in iiiayer, his childlike faith, his sincere h)ve 
to the Saviour and to his feUow men, his steadfastness in ; 
suifering, his courage in confessing, his zeal in testifying, his 
readiness for sacrilice, the earnestness of his Chriatian walk, 
the joyfulness of his departure from this world, wc find that 
these are expressions of his life of fellowship with Jesus. 
Jesus has become so central that He inspires not only grutit_ 
tude but adoration and Divine worship. 

Single powers may be got from .lesus. The (evening red is 
lovely, though it only brings out oui' of the coloured rays of 
the spectrum. Tlicx.\vlm tuacli the hem of the Saviour's 
I'armcnt acciuire some virtue from the touch. The heathen 



[•;!; 




ii 




* 



Ii 



r1 



■■f^. 



I 



308 Til?] LIVINfJ FORCKS OF THE r.OSPEL 

who [trizc .Iorus only as the conqueror of demons are in 
reality set free l)y Ilini. 

Wliatever any one receives from Jesns, however small it 
be, and tliouti;h it lie only on the outer cnist of life, is still 
real and fidl of i)ower. None of us has more than certain 
rays of the I jf^ht of the world. The disciples took little from 
.Icsus at first, but that little wasTTvIu^ power : it worked in 
them mightily. The <?ray of mornin}? dcepenina: into orange 
leads to the sun's white splendour, with all its beauty and 
power. Once within the sphere of Jesus' power, heathen 
Christians, if oidy their wills consent, are led from glory to 
glory.^ If only it is power from .lesus they take, and not 
some worthless substitute, they will steadily L'row in the 
inner man. Tho gift may come to them in earthen vessels : 
it may be received into earthen vessels ; but it is not the 
vessels whicli condition the life of the new man ; it is the 
content, the power of (mkI therein. Without this power the 
messenger of the Gospel would soon lose all joy in mission 
work. But to be the bearer of living Divine forces is the 
missionaries' honour and strength and joy. 

The evangelists when they testify of Jesus use very 
significant words : " There went power out of Him and 
healed them all." Out of Ilim g»)cs the power that attracts, 
melts, and fashions anew the hearts of the heathen, wakening 
in them life and love and hope. Never man has wrought as 
this man. He is the power of God entering into humanity. 
Hundreds of thousands of heathen Christians who have 
passed from death to life bow their knees to Him, and 
joyfully declare : " Neither is there salvation in any other, for 
there is none other name under heaven given among men 
whereby we may be saved than the name of Jesus Christ.'' 

' Utsoliiniiini says of liimsclf : "After I had laid Indd iii>on the Son of (;od 
mj' iiiiirr IHV was a niovciiieiit uiiwards and downwaids, hut more upwanls 
than downwards " (i>. 89). 



IXDKX 



A< riMTV of (iod, 21- 
Abortion, ■')- 

A.liilterv, •■>l.t":. 1-'!, I"'-. T2i» 
Amulets, .M', 7!l, :i<>- 
Auoestors, their worship. 7'> 

hifflu'st order of spirits. (!."{ 

piiariliaiis of eustoiiis, t;(i f. 

-^ farewell fea..t, 241 

worshipiied throufrh f»';ir, 40 

<!4 
Animism — 

A philosophy of nature, !'>! f. 

A deireuerate relisfion, !•'.• 

Produces cruelty, lit! 

Produces immorality, l'">l 

Its superficial attractiveuess, ii2 

Elements of truth in, l:!-") 

The presupposition of spiritism, 
40, (i:i 
Animistic heathen — 

Keally dfffoi. KW 

No sense of responsibility , !!4 

llelifjious ifrnorance, it.'f 

Hondage to fear, ll» 

Antipithv to foreign religions, 
VV\ 
Animistic religion, sadness of, Ul 
ethics, IW 

Batara (iiHi-, 215 ff. , .'!.") if. 

Begu, .•)!), <i2 

Bible- 
Studied by converts, 282 
Suj>erstitions thereanent, lii4 
Thepowerof its narratives, •_'2"> ti. 
\'iiidication of their historicitv, 
231 

Blood— 

Contiiius soul-stuff, 4.'5 
F^lement of sacrifice, ,T15 
Drinking, •")l-.54 

lireath magic, 'i ' 

Bride, selection. ..'. 



Buddhi-m. in:!, 114 
Burial customs, .'>'.•, '*'< 

( wNriivi i*M. ."il , 121! 
( crtainty. de>ire for, !!•; 
( haracter. prcord.iiiicd. l.'il 
! < liier<, raiiid (ip|>onent< of Chris- 
; tianitv, 144 

i < hildbc'd. ileath in. .■)2, tij. (Hl,7«. 
121! 
Children, trainintr. 12.'! 

chastisonicnt. I" 

China, in.'! 

Chinese ance-tor-worship, ll-'i 
Cholera, spirit who causes, till 
Christianising of nation the aim of 

ini>sious, I [.') f. 
Christianity viewed i»s a powerful 

m.agic. It it; 
Civilisation, 2<11 , 24:! 
Collins, .V). Ii«, til. til!, Ttt. ItHi 
Conmiunism, 121. l.'itl, l.'ill, 14ii, 

27<; ti-. 
< onfucius. ll>."! 
Coiiccience — 

Not an oriran of morality, .Mi, 

i:!t). It: I 
The change in conversion, 2<!» 
Conservatism, ti7, '•>'• 
Conver>ioii, its stages, 21», 2.'";" 
Converts— 

Their experiences -- 
Ania-<iahonoa, 221, 2.")."> f 
^niura, !4H, 21t». 2!'2 
•| i-culties. 2ti!» 

'1 . rage, 211! 

Till t giatituile, 272 
(Vivenants, ,54 
Creator, the, ti'.t 
Cross, its power, 2.">7 ff- 
(ustom, (it!, !!■■., 127,27!>ff.,21!7 f. 

its guardians, 127 ff., 144 f. 

tyranny, UK', ••"'2 

3U',i 



;U(» TIIK LIV»X(J FORCKS OF TflK (JOSPKI. 



f! 






i 



l>KArii, ooiitiilfiice of ••<mvtM-U, 
::!»;( tf. 

Iiopclossiu'ss of heathen, -It! 

Dead, fear of, (Mi 

sacrifices to, "•' 
r)ehata, .'U, !Mi, 104 
DecalofTiie, 147, l!'7 
Desfeiieriitiiin, reli^rioiis, f!i(. i!:! f . , 

11(1 tf., 10.5, l:!;( 
Demons 

\\ orshipped, (U, (i7, 1 H» 

llealitiestotlielieatiicn, KU, IH! 
I>etorminisrn 

W'iile sj»reail, I(t7 

Moral hiiiilraiice, l"i4, 27'! 
Development, :i!i tf., lit!!, :itl|, JI7 
Devil, 117 rt. 
Di-lnist, it.") 
Divinity of .(esws, L'ltl 
Divorce, .'i.S, 271 
Dreams — 

Their inthienco, l!7, 17'! ff. 

Soul leaving? liotly, 42, 41! 

K.vHi.Y Church, illustr.iteil and 
conijiared — 

Its • '--iv of demons. 1 ID 

\'ie., >if idobtrv. 111! 

Kschat.doffy, 27t>, ;i<>l 
Kducatioii - 

Desireil hy heathen, ll)2 If. 

And superstition, 207 
Kthics, animistic, *!•'> 
Kuropeans -^ 

'I'lieir authority, 1(!,"> 

Dissolute <-onduct, Ili7 

Suspected, l;i'.» 
I'ivana^elistic zeal of converts, 272 
Kxistence, stru^'gle for, 12."> 

l-Arrii of converts, 217 
Famine, ItiO 
I atiilism, 4», lOlt, I2t) 
Fear - 

Its tyranny, lOit 

Kssence of lieatlienism, 110 

Mourninsr customs, 10!) 
Feticlies, 4'.t, .■)!. 202. 2:il! 
Foods, prohibition of, .'><), !t0, 142 
Forjriveness, 1.14, 271 
Freedom, 2;!.J, 241, 247. 27» 
Fuiure life, incredihltr to the 

lieathen, 132, 2y.") f. 



(lOlt — 

.\ctivity <(f. 212 

Dimly known. !!<! 

Kdipsed hy fate, KH! 

Not a development from sjtirit 
«orshi|i. !tll 

Mints of a latent higher conce|»- 
tion. :>•*> 

I nity, 211 

Special providences, 17-"> f. 

Known in ,lesus. 21ii 

liOve revealed onlv in theCros.s, 
2.")t! 

Contrasted with impotence of 
idols. 21;!-21.) 
(Joldeii ajre, 1IH» 
«;<)od. the his:hest, l.'iO 
( iospel — 

Diversity of jrifts, 111, lll'.t 

.\nd Midiamniedanism, 141 

Nei-i'ssity of a personal present- 
ment, l'.»4 

.Moral f,'reatness iinfelt, 141, 147 

Divine preparations, 1112 tf. , 
1.-.7 If. 

Saves from fear, 2."i;{ 

I5enelicent results, 24.'J 

Self-attestiiiff power, I'.HI 
(iovernment — 

Inlliience of Ktiropean, 171 If. 
(iratitude of converts, 272 
<;rave, tiie, .V.I, {]:,, 70, 7t;, 10!) 

IIaih. soul-stutf in, 44, .")(!, (!1. 71, 
•24!» 

Hawk, .■)!) 

Ilead-huritiiit', W, HI. 11(5, l.")l, 
17<», 220, 2:i7 

Heathen — 

Uiiforously conservative, l:!!f 

Kminently reliffious, 27. Ht> 

No interest in spiritual things, 

i:iO. 14.3 
Self-righteous, l.">0, ].").*) 
No sense of hoi'csty or truth, 

Their mis-rv. I'i7, l-"'l' 
Hopelessness in dyinir. 1;>2 
Impressed hv autlioritv, liH, 

l'.>7 
I'ntronlded hy doul.t, lil'.l 
Heathen ( hrislians - 
I 'I'heir faith, 217 



IXDKX 



:ni 



Heathen ( hrixtiuii.- 

Sense (»f ("reedoni, 241 

«;ratitu(le, 21i;t 

Liheralitv, \l\'fi 

Hn.ttierly love, JIU 

Courajre, 2H."i 
llviitlienisiii 

Its moral (lefec-ts, l2M;iO 

n» iwrfm, i:r>, 144, •-'1111 
Iliinmn saeriticc-., •'>'.•, VSA 

lixii.ATHV in Apostolic times and 
amonj.' the heathen, Ilii, 'IW »'. 

Immortility. \\'.\. \-\l 

Influeiu-e oi" preacher's personality, 
l(i7 ff. 

.lAevv, l(>;i, 141!, I<;2. 210. 22'.i 
.lesus 

The wav to the Father, ::l<i, 2;tl 

Mis Divinity. I'Hi 

Contjucror of demons, 'Z'M (. 

Lord and Saviour, 2ti2, 271 
Jud^'ment, bist, UK! 

VARENS, 42, 111, 141!, 1»0 
Kingdom ofCJod, 2.'{(> 
of the dead, (il, »m, 109, 

i;ti 

Korea, 23il 

Lamk.vtations, their special ilia- 
lect, lii> 

Le>rends — 
Orijrin of man, 2!> 
Creation of the world, .SO 
Kclipse of sun and moon, ;?2 f. 
Incarnation of Son of (iod, 20!( 
Intercourse between jjods and 

men, 101 
Su^rar palm, 4!t 
Tree of human destiny, 47 

Leprosy, (12, ;!01 

Livingstone, •■(."), 171 

Love potions. •")4 

Lvinjf an exliihition of skill, ltd, 
■'.1.5 

MA<iir,.54, <;.5, 110 
Marriage, l."»l 
Majficiaiis — 
The only peojde who know, i!f! 



Ma^ricians 

Mi«-ion.irv viewed as a, -'lO, 144. 

210 
llaliid opponents of ( liristianitv, 
14:. 
Matriarchate, 12"> 
.Mediums. 70, 72 rt. . 7"'. <!7 
Memory of lietter tinie>, !»7. lOO 
Mei ciacity, !I4 
Miracles,' K;."), 17."> f. 
.Missions 

.Mediieval methods compared. 

i;!7. Hi; 
Success in preachiiiL', 102 ff. , 

202 ff. . 224 
Reactive intluence on home 

( hurch. 21 
Zeal of converts, 272 ff. 
.Mohannnedanism, 114 f. 
Morality of converts, 22.'!, 2111! f . , 
27(i rt', 2'!1! ff'. 

N'amks, importance of, 4(!, 2H0 
National defects, 27!> 

virtues, 12"> 

— - customs. 21!0 ff. 
reliction, 1.'57 

I'AMiir.i iiai,am;, 77 f- 
I'arahle hy a Hattak. 1!7 
Peace, lonjjin^r for, Itll 
Toliteness, 122, 121!, 142. l.Vt 
I'olvfamy, 12.'! 
I'oor oppressed, (!."> 
Possession hy spirits. 72 ff. 
Poverty, l.^il! 
Prayers, heathen. •■i7 

^ converts', 21'.i ff. 

Preacher, his personal influence, 
K.7 f. 

nnist he do;;matic, 14il f. 

Predictions. 171* f. 
Priests, H(i, 101 
Proverhs, '.ll 
Puhlic opinion, 2i!7 

Kki.ai'sk into heathenism, 27'.',21!!l 
Kesponsihility, 271! 
Resurrection, 2'.t7 ff- 
Retrihution. i;2, l!f;. 12!i 
Revelation. !!••! 
Rice ( hristians, ItiO 
Riches, passion for. t;,"i 






312 TIIK LIVINO FORCES OF THE (JOSPEL 



Sai'hajik.vth, matfic.ll motions of, 
2!»1 

Sacrifices, <>!( 

human, ."Sit, 110, 1211 

Shamanism, 71 

Sick, torture of, 1511 

Sin- 
Heathen conceptions, (i7, 1-7, 

1.50. 2<i:{ 
Sense of, amongst converts, '-M, 
247, 2(iO ff. 

.Slaves, <il, l.{(!, 1.5H 

Sombaon, (>2, 7*> 

Soul- 
Animistic idea of, 40 ff. , LI I 
A separate entity, 42, .")4-<><> 
Its pre-existence, 2!), 107 

Soul-stuff, 42 f., 48, .51 

.Spirits — 

Heathen notions, ."«», «>8 f. , 78 ff- , 
239 



Suicide, (;2, tiH 

Sujierstition not destroye<l by edu- 
cation, 207 
destroyed by the IJospel, 2!)1 

Tkhtii.i.ian, 118 
Tlieft. .-.O, lU! 
Tradition, 84, 127, 1">» 
Trial by orileal, .'U, It."), 12!t 
Truth-seekinjf souls in heathenism, 
11(2 ff. 

rMIIASTlTY, 128 

Inity of(}od,211 

Visions, 180 f. 

WiiiTK m.in, dominance of, Ki-i 
Widows and widowers, .">!> f., 158, 

2!t.'l 
U'orldliness, i;(0,2!»4f. 
U'undt, 42 



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